Flower in the Rain
by PsyMama17
Summary: I'm just a random rebel who enjoys rapping. How'd I get mixed up with Akatsuki, the most popular music group of all time? Most of all, how'd I get inthe attention of their leader? Here's the story of my crappy college life. PeinKonan ItaHana.
1. Chapter 1

**Yo! This is my new fanfic. I decided to do a PeinKonan since I adore them. Also, don't mind the late updates. I'll be doing two fanfics at the same time so its gonna be a bit tough. Forgive me?**

**Hope you like it. Oh yeah and I'd like you to meet my assistant, SASORI!**

**Sasori: Thank you Psy-chan. We'll be working really hard to make this fanfic worth your time.**

**Me: Enjoy the first chappie!**

**CHAPTER 1**

I took a deep breath as I walked in through the gates. I always came here when I was lonely or sad or pissed. Being near my parents made me feel better and that's where I was going; to their graves.

Ame Cemetery was quiet and still. The spirits whispered several things all at once but what they said was lost in the wind. I zipped up my jacket as I headed towards my parents.

They were a little farther from the other graves. It was on a small hill near the woods. It was peaceful and I knew they liked it there. I stared at the graves of my parents and placed a white rose on each grave.

It brought back so many memories of when we were all together as a family. It pained me to know that that was now only a memory from the past and that it was no more.

It started to rain; just like on that day. I was only ten years old; a mere child. I blamed myself for their death as I couldn't protect them back then.

_**Flashback**_

_I was very happy. Teacher told me that making a rose origami was very hard and it was. But finally, during lunchtime, I managed to make a perfect rose origami out of my bread wrapper._

_I kept my craft work in my locker; I couldn't wait to show my mom and dad. I knew they'd be so proud of their little girl._

_After school was over, I grabbed my origami and packed my bag. I put on my raincoat and rain boots. The rain was pouring down heavily so I hid my origami inside my coat as I ran. I saw the small yellow cottage with the red roof up ahead; my house._

_I was excited to show what I had made in school so I ran faster. When I reached the porch, I took a minute to catch my breath. The lights were not on inside. That's odd; my parents should be home by this time._

_I removed my shoes and slowly opened the door. No one was there. I was scared. I tried calling for my mom and dad but my voice didn't work. Even the power was out so the lights didn't work. I grabbed my flashlight from the kitchen. I heard some shuffling from my parents' bedroom._

_Quietly, I went towards their bedroom. I heard two men talking about 'money,' 'cops' and 'escape.' I couldn't understand what they were saying since they were whispering. I heard them open the cupboard door and look for something. Slowly, I opened the door and saw two men taking, _stealing, _from my parents' room._

_I wondered where my parents were and got my answer when I saw them lying on the floor. Blood; there was so much blood. My parents had been stabbed. I controlled my cries and sobs since the robbers were still in the house._

_My mother lay unmoving with blood trickling down the corner of her mouth. My father was blinking and I thought there was hope. He mouthed one word to me, 'Run.'_

_I did what I was told. I rushed downstairs and grabbed the phone. My parents told me the emergency numbers so I called the police. I explained to them my situation. _

_Suddenly, someone grabbed my shoulder to turn me around. I was greeted by a slap by one of the robbers. My face stung. I could no longer hold back my rage. I screamed and cried as the robber lifted me up. He threw me to the floor and crawled on top of me. _

_He pulled out his knife; he was going to stab me like the way he had done to my parents. For a scary moment, I couldn't do anything. Then, I snapped out of my shock and kicked him hard in his soft spot. _

_I ran towards the front door. His partner tried to grab me but I managed to get away. I climbed on top of the tree in my backyard and held my breath as the robbers came out searching for me._

_The police arrived and arrested them. I saw two doctors carrying my mom on a stretcher. Two more doctors followed carrying my dad on another stretcher._

"_Momma! Papa!" I cried as I climbed down the tree. I ran towards the stretcher. The doctors held me back but I fought._

"_Let me go!" I yelled. "My dad is still alive! My mom is just unconscious!"_

"_I'm sorry little one," the doctor said with a sad expression. "Your parents are dead."_

_I couldn't believe it. My parents were dead. I started to cry in the doctor's arms. The doctor didn't complain; he held me in his arms. He stroked my hair and whispered soothing words to me. Soon the police came ushered me to a police car. They took me to the police station. They asked me questions about what happened and I told them what I knew._

_I had to spend the night in the police station while they investigated the house. The nice police officer made me a cozy futon in his office. He gave me some tuna sandwiches and a can of apple juice but I wasn't hungry nor was I thirsty._

_I stared out of the window and looked at the stars. My mom had told me that when people die, they became stars so that they could look after the one they loved from above. Tears dribbled down my cheeks; my parents were now stars. They would never be with me again._

_Something fell out of my palm. I bent down to pick it up; it was my rose origami. I smoothened out its petals with my fingers and gave a small smile. My mom and dad wouldn't be happy if I kept brooding over their death so I decided I was going to be strong for them._

My name is Konan. My parents didn't have surnames because . . . well . . . you know those stories of runaway lovers? It's like that. My mom's parents didn't approve of my mom marrying my dad and it was the same with my dad's folks as well. But my mom was already pregnant with me and they loved each other very much so they ran away together. They moved to Ame and my mom gave birth to me.

I'm nineteen years old and I'm pretty tall. I have my mom's purplish-blue hair and my dad's topaz eyes. My hair is messily cut and is put in a small, loose ponytail at the side of my head. My rose origami rests atop my ponytail. I also have a piercing below my lower lip and I don't go anywhere without wearing a stud.

My personality is boyish and rebellious. I often get into fights but that doesn't mean I'm a gangster! I'm okay at studies and I suck and math but I am kickass in Chemistry! People avoid me because they think I'm a freak but I don't give a damn to what they say.

I like the rain; probably because I was born in the land of rain. I also like origami, running and rapping. It's true! Since middle school, I started composing rap songs. I never performed much but I still enjoy doing it.

Right now, I'm wearing a black jacket over a grey Nike t-shirt with tight dark blue jeans and dark blue DCs. My rose origami is in place and I'm currently wearing a black stud.

After visiting my parents' graves, I went to a café. I ordered a black coffee and waited at a table in the corner.

"Konan-chan," a voice called. "I've been looking for you everywhere!"

It was Inuzuka Hana. Hana was a pretty girl with coal black eyes, which she hid behind a pair of frameless glasses, and long brown hair which she tied in a ponytail. She was a bit shorter than me and she's the same age as me but a few months younger. She had two red upside down triangles painted on each cheek; the symbol of her family.

When Hana was four, her father had left Hana and her mother, who was at the time, pregnant with Hana's brother, Kiba. I stayed with Hana and her family until middle school. Hana and I shared an apartment when we started high school.

Hana was a shy but sweet person. She was a straight 'A' student and always topped the class. She loves animals and reading books. People always picked on her and bullied her when we were little and I would fend off the bullies. That's how we became best friends; even though we're complete opposites.

Hana was wearing a red shirt and a khaki skirt under her black over coat. She wore a grey and black striped scarf and black flats. She was carrying a huge text book in her hands which read 'Mammals'. She ordered at the counter and came to sit at my table. She exhaled deeply as she sat down in the seat opposite to mine.

"You work too hard." I told her. The waiter brought our coffees. I took a sip of my black coffee.

"It's worth it though," Hana said with a smile. "By the way, where were you?"

"I was at the cemetery," I said. "I went to see my folks."

Hana nodded, "I see."

I sighed, "Great. I forgot to pack. Now I'll never be able to finish in time."

"Don't worry," said Hana. "I packed all your stuff a week ago so you're all set for tomorrow."

I raised my eyebrow, "Is that the reason I can't find most of my clothes?"

"You're welcome." Hana said with a smile.

I smiled back, "Hana, you're the best."

Hana giggled, "Well, now you didn't think I'd let my best friend be humiliated on the first day of college did you?"

Tomorrow, Hana and I were going to start going to college. Don't look at me like that! Yes, I got accepted into college. I told you; I'm not that bad in academics.

"Aren't you excited?" Hana beamed. "I mean were finally going to college!"

I sighed, "I don't know if I should cry or squeal with happiness."

"Squeal with happiness," Hana said with a bright smile. "That's an order."

I sighed, "Do I have to?"

Hana nodded, "One the count of three; one, two, three!"

I gave my most girlish scream and Hana joined me. The people at the café stared at us as we laughed and hugged each other. I looked at everyone in the café and raised my coffee cup, "We're going to college tomorrow!"

Everyone in the café cheered and raised their cups and glasses. Some congratulated us and wished us best of luck. Hana smiled and raised her cappuccino as well.

The woman at the counter smiled, "That's wonderful news! Coffee is on the house." The customers cheered again.

Hana and I sat down and started to talk about college. Hana was aiming to become a vet like her mom so all her text books consisted of Science and Zoology books.

I was aiming to become a rapper so I was taking Music and Arts. I didn't need to take any books. I only had to carry a journal for lyric writing which I already had.

Five people entered the café. They were about Hana and my age; maybe a bit older.

The first person was a guy who had long blonde hair tied in a half ponytail and blue eyes. One of his eyes was hidden by his long bangs. He looked like a girl but I heard him order at the counter and his voice was deep and masculine. He was wearing a white shirt, with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows, and jeans with black converse.

The person standing next to him was a guy with red hair and brown eyes. He had his neon yellow headphones on and had a lazy expression on his face. He was wearing a dark blue t-shirt over a white long-sleeved shirt with black skinny jeans and dark blue DCs like mine. He lazily ordered and leaned on the wall.

The third was a guy with spiky black hair and was wearing an orange swirls mask so that you couldn't see his face. He was jumping up and down shouting 'Chocolate Muffin!' He was wearing a black t-shirt with khaki quarter pants and sneakers. He also wore a cap that had a picture of a smiley on it.

The fourth was a guy who looked calm and mature. He had long black hair tied in a ponytail and coal black eyes. He gave a soft smile at the lady at the counter and ordered something. He was wearing a black long-sleeved shirt and grey skinny jeans with black converse. He looked over at us and made brief eye contact with Hana before looking away.

Hana blushed. I snickered and leaned towards Hana, "You are _so_ checking him out."

"Am not!" Hana protested as she shoved me away. I didn't stop snickering. Then, my eyes met with someone else's'.

It was the eyes of the last guy. He had spiky orange hair and had the most beautiful and unique purple eyes that had several ringlets making them look mysterious and hypnotizing. He had a total of six piercings; three on each side of the nose. Ouch! It must have been painful. He was wearing a long black coat and black jeans with black Vans.

He stared at me briefly and shook his head. The guys left after getting their coffee and muffins. I could see many girls in the café who were giggling and checking them out. They were staring at them and gossiping.

I took a bite out of my muffin, "I wonder what's so great about them."

Hana scoffed, "Yeah right! You were _so _checking out that last guy."

"Was not." I muttered as I nibbled on my muffin.

"Was too," Hana said as she put her hands on her hips. "And that's final!"

"Whatever." I said as I looked away.

Hana and I thanked the lady at the counter and went home. We weren't hungry so both of us took turns showering and we changed into our .

I wore my father's basketball jersey over my bra and dark blue boxers. Hana wore a plain white night gown. We climbed into our beds.

"Hey Konan-chan?" said Hana.

"Yeah?" I said as I put my hands behind my head.

"Do you think the people will be nice at college?" she asked timidly. I realized Hana was scared of not getting accepted. She was always the last one picked for everything since no one really liked her. Everyone always bullied Hana but she was strong.

"It'll be fine," I told her. "We'll just mind our own business. Hater are gonna keep hating but let's not stop that from being ourselves okay?"

Hana laughed lightly, "Okay. Thanks Konan-chan."

Hana turned over and soon she fell asleep. I lay in my bed and started at the ceiling. I still couldn't get those eyes out of my head. They were so beautiful and captivating. I shook my head. I'll never see that guy again so I should probably forget about it.

I pulled my covers over my head and let the sleep take over me.

**ME: Well, what do you think?**

**Sasori: I think . . . I'm gonna be kickass.**

**Me: Hold on Sasori. You're not the main character of this fanfic. However I plan on doing one just for you.**

**Sasori: Arigato Psy-chan.**

**Me: You're welcome. **

**Me and Sasori: Please review and stay tuned for chapter 2!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here you go folks; Chapter 2! So far so good I hope ^_^**

**CHAPTER 2**

Hana woke me up by splashing a glass of ice cold water on me. I woke up with a jolt. I glared at Hana who stood there laughing at my expression.

"What'd you do that for?" I exclaimed.

"We'll be late." Hana chided.

I groaned, "It's only six in the morning. Can't I sleep for another hour?"

Hana shook her head, "No can do. Wash up while I prepare breakfast. The earlier we reach college, the better."

I grumbled as I got out of bed and dragged myself to the bathroom. I grabbed my toothbrush and squirted some spearmint toothpaste on its bristles. I furiously scrubbed every part of my teeth. I rinsed my mouth and splashed some water on my face.

I changed into a white long-sleeved shirt under a red tattered t-shirt and black skinny jeans with a studded belt and red converse. I tied my hair in my usual ponytail with the origami in place and wore a black stud that had a picture of a skull.

I hung my earphones around my neck and shoved my iPod into my pocket as I went to the kitchen for breakfast.

Hana had changed her clothes and was wearing a dark blue sweater over her white collared shirt with a black knee-length skirt, stockings and black ballet flats. Her hair was in her usual ponytail and she had her glasses on. She was flipping a pancake over the stove.

I went to the fridge and grabbed the jug of grape juice. I poured myself and Hana a glass and set them on the table. Hana sat down and handed me a plate of pancakes. I grabbed the syrup and started to pour a lot of it over my pancakes.

Hana sighed, "Don't you get sick after eating all that syrup?"

I grinned, "Nope. It makes me energetic! I think you're the only person in this world who doesn't like sweet things."

It's true. Hana dislikes sweet things. She does eat dango and ice cream once in a while but if she consumes too much sugar, she gets sick. Hana only eats food that doesn't have too much sugar.

Hana stuck her tongue out at me and started to munch on her tuna sandwich. She took a sip of her grape juice and sighed, "I can't believe we're going to college. I still feel like . . . little Hana."

I grinned, "Same here. I still feel like a kid. But hey, what's done is done and we got accepted into college. Now all we have to do is do our best."

"Right," said Hana. "And Konan-chan . . . don't get into fights okay?"

"What if they asked for it?" I protested.

"Konan-chan," Hana said with a serious tone. "No fights."

I sighed. Being a rebel, it was impossible not to get into fights but Hana was right; if I screwed up in college, it was gonna be the end for me.

"Fine," I muttered. "I'll keep the fights to a minimum. I'll be on my best behavior."

Hana smiled, "Thank you."

We finished breakfast and we had enough time to finish the dishes and get out bags ready. Hana was right; the earlier the better.

We took out our baggage and the two of us stood outside the door.

Hana sighed, "We won't be here for a while."

I nodded, "The place is gonna need a lot of cleaning when we come back."

We laughed and locked the door. Then I buried the spare key in the flower pot next to the door.

Hana and I walked to the college building with our baggage. Ame College consisted of three huge white buildings. All the kids were greeting each other and making new friends.

We went to the main office and picked up our dorm keys and class schedules. Turns out, Hana and I were roommates! We dropped off our stuff in our dorm and decided to go have a look around.

The place was amazing. It had a music room, theater, basketball court, soccer field and a swimming pool. We walked to the cafeteria.

A couple of people were snickering and pointing at us. Others looked away in disgust. I promised Hana that I'd be on my best behavior so I politely bowed my head to the passing students. Some bowed back, some nodded and some simply walked off. Hana eyed my actions cautiously.

My eyes wandered around the cafeteria and landed on a group of boys in the corner. They were the same boys from last night. They were being surrounded by a crowd of females; fan girls.

"Hana, look." I nudged Hana. Hana looked at the direction I was looking and her eyes slightly widened. Again, she made eye contact with the black haired boy from last night. This time, he gave her a small smile and Hana blushed. I chuckled as Hana blushed and punched my arm.

The orange haired boy rolled his eyes at his fan girls and they met mine. I was captivated by those eyes again. I wasn't looking where I was going so I bumped into a guy.

"Watch where you're going." He said, irritated. I wanted to snap back but I remembered my promise.

"Sorry." I mumbled.

After the guy left, I turned to Hana, who was looking at me like I'd grown a second head. I raised an eyebrow, "What?"

"That was . . . unexpected of you." Hana said with a smile.

I shrugged and put my hands behind my head, "Well, when you hang around a nerd for nine years, you pick up a couple of stuff."

Hana laughed and shook her head. She pulled out the map of the college and opened it, "Let's go check out the swimming pool. It should be opposite to the-"

A plate of spaghetti flew from the heart of the cafeteria and landed on Hana's head.

"Cafeteria." Hana said slowly.

The whole cafeteria burst into laughter. I wanted to yell at them to stop but Hana gave me a look that said 'It's okay.'

She smiled at the cafeteria, "Very funny." She then started to pull off spaghetti from her hair.

"Hey nerd!" a shrill voice called. It was a girl with red hair and red eyes. She was wearing way too much makeup and clothes that barely covered up her body. There was another girl next to her. She had black hair and blue eyes and was also wearing slutty clothing.

"The name is Aiko," she said in her shrill voice. "And this is Fuyu." She pointed at her 'friend.'

"So you're the one who threw that spaghetti on Hana?" I asked as the anger boiled inside me.

She looked at me and turned her nose up in disgust, "Yeah, it was me, freak. Just a welcome to this college!"

"How nice." Hana said with a fake sweet smile.

"Don't be sarcastic with Aiko-chan, freak!" the skank named Fuyu yelled.

I held my hand to my ear, "Sheesh! You're gonna break my ear drum."

"We'll let you off with a warning," said Aiko. "Right now, we're here for the nerd."

"How thoughtful." Hana said flatly. I could tell she was getting annoyed but the thing about Hana was that she never rebelled against anyone; unlike me.

No one was standing up to them. I wanted to but Hana mouthed the words 'They're not worth it.' That bitch Aiko grabbed a bottle of sauce and started to squirt it over Hana's head, "This is for checking out Itachi-kun. He's mine, got it?"

"Checking out whom?" Hana asked, confused.

"Uchiha Itachi," Aiko said dreamily. She pointed to the boy with black hair who sighed and banged his head on the table. "He's mine so don't go off making googly eyes at him, got it nerd?"

"Listen," said Hana. "I didn't do anything to your boyfriend so can you please let me go now?"

Aiko laughed and it sounded like a cat choking on a hairball. She was about to slap Hana but then she stopped. She tilted Hana's chin upward.

"Hey Fuyu," she said. "I've seen these triangle marks on someone else."

Fuyu tilted her head then she laughed which was even more horrible than Aiko's, "I remember! These marks were on the face of that Inuzuka boy that we creamed during Halloween!"

Hana's eyes widened. Kiba had come home all beaten, bruised and covered in makeup during our last Halloween. Kiba told us he got into a little fight but we knew he was hiding something.

"Oh yeah," said Aiko. "That wimp didn't know what hit him. So . . . this nerd here must be his sister. This is hilarious! A wimpy brother and a nerdy sister! What's next? A prostitute of a mother?" The two skanks cracked up.

I was about to punch Fuyu in her nose but Hana did something surprising; she punched Aiko in her stomach, _hard._ Aiko doubled over in pain.

Fuyu went to help Aiko up but Hana beat her to it. She grabbed Aiko by the hair and spoke in a really cold voice, "Listen redhead, don't you dare go talking trash about my family! If I hear you say nasty things about my family again, I will tear your limbs off and shove them down your throat and crack your head with your Prada heels!"

"They're Gucci!" Aiko exclaimed.

"I don't care!" Hana shouted back. She roughly pushed Aiko away. Hey, being a rebel, I just gotta do something rebellious. I pulled out a sharpie from my pocket and knelt down next in front of Aiko. I scribbled 'Skank' on her forehead and did the same to Fuyu.

"What are you doing?" Fuyu shrieked.

I smirked, "Why, I'm simply labeling my enemies." The two of them got up and stormed off, out of the cafeteria.

After they left, everyone cheered for Hana. I smirked; I have to admit, I was proud of her. Soon everyone left the cafeteria.

I told her the same thing she had told me, "That was . . . unexpected of you."

Hana sighed, "When you hang around a rebel for nine years, you pick a couple of stuff." I smirked and nodded. Hana's clothes were now drenched in sauce and spaghetti.

"You okay?" I asked her.

"I need a tissue." She said as she rubbed her temples.

"Here you go." said a smooth voice. It was the black haired boy.

Hana gingerly took the tissue and looked at the boy, "Thank you . . . um . . . Itachi right?"

"That's me." He said with a charming smile. Hana blushed. I smirked; I was so gonna tease her later.

"May I know who you are?" asked Itachi.

"I'm Hana," Hana replied shyly. "And this is Konan."

"Yo." I said with a two fingered salute.

"Nice to meet you both," said Itachi. "I'll see you guys tomorrow?" Itachi then walked off and Hana stared at him. I nudged her, "You _so_ like him!"

Hana turned tomato red, "I do not!"

I chuckled, "I'm gonna go have a look around. I'll meet you back at the dorm." Hana nodded and the two of us went separate ways.

I walked around and found a nice and quiet spot under a tree in the back of the school. I listened to 'Let it be' by The Beatles and leaned against the trunk.

I opened my eyes and looked at my surroundings; small wild flowers grew all around and butterflies flew around and danced with each other. The late afternoon sunlight was calm and soothing.

"You know, this is my secret spot." I heard a silky voice say. I turned to see that the orange haired boy was sitting next to me. He looked at me with those gorgeous eyes of his. I felt myself get hypnotized by them but I snapped out of my daze and replied to his statement.

"Yeah, well I got here first." I pulled out my earphones and shoved my iPod back into my pocket. We both sat in silence. There were no people coming around this area and that confused me.

"Why aren't there any people around here?" I asked. He was silent. I rolled my eyes and sighed. Finally he spoke, "This section of the college is closed. No one comes here anymore."

I was baffled, "Why? This place is amazing!"

"They don't have the time to enjoy the small gifts of nature." he murmured.

"And you do?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

His lips twitched upward a bit and then he sighed, "Perhaps its better this way. Knowing the people of today, they'd destroy this place in an instant."

We sat in a comfortable silence, enjoying the peaceful afternoon. He was right; humanity destroys everything for their benefits without thinking about the consequences. I might as well enjoy what I can.

After some time, he stood up, "Like I said, this is my secret spot. Don't come here again and don't tell anyone about it."

"Yeah right," I said sarcastically. "Well I don't take orders from anyone or my name is not Konan."

"Well . . . Konan," he said a somewhat amused tone. "You should know I don't share."

"Well it's about time you learnt the value of it." I told him stubbornly. He started to walk away. Then I realized I didn't even know his name.

"Wait," I called out. "What's your name?"

He stopped in his tracks, "You can call me Pein; P-E-I-N." And with that he walked away.

Hana was already there. She was sitting on her bed reading a Zoology text book.

"You study too much," I told her. She looked at me and raised an eyebrow. "Our lessons haven't even started!"

"It's best to be prepared beforehand." Hana said with a smile.

I leaped onto my bed and buried my head in the pillow.

Hana grinned at me, "I saw you with Mr. Piercings."

I groaned and threw my pillow at her, "It's not what you think."

Hana laughed, "So what's his name?"

"Pein." I replied.

"Pain?" asked Hana. "Like P-A-I-N?"

"P-E-I-N," I corrected her. "He probably means 'Pain' though, P-A-I-N. Obviously because he had to go through truck loads of pain when he got his nose pierced six times."

After a brief silence, Hana and I cracked up and started laughing. Then, we washed up and changed and climbed into our beds.

"Sleep well Konan-chan," Hana told me. "We have busy day tomorrow."

I snickered, "You're just saying that because you wanna see Itachi."

"Don't make me come over there!" Hana warned. We laughed and soon we fell asleep.

**Me: So what do you think?**

**Sasori: I'm not in this chappie :'(**

**Me: Don't worry; you'll surely be in the next one!**

**Me and Sasori: Please review! :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for the late updates, school's a major obstacle for a fanfic writer. Hope you like it. I'll try to update the next chappie real soon. Until then, here's chappie 3!**

**CHAPTER 3**

I'm not an insomniac but I couldn't sleep well last night. Pein's eyes were haunting me in my dreams; those mysterious and captivating eyes. Since I couldn't sleep, I stayed up all night listening to Green Day on my iPod.

At around six in the morning, I saw Hana stir in her sleep. She then rose and yawned. She looked at me and grinned, "You're up early."

"I couldn't sleep." I admitted.

"Well I'm sure the cafeteria is open. Let's get some coffee." Hana said as she got out of bed and stretched. Hana went to the bathroom first so I decided to get my stuff ready.

I grabbed my bag and threw in the stuff I needed; my iPod, my lyric journal, a packet of Kleenex, my dorm keys, my pencil bag, my camera (for taking pictures to use for blackmail) and my shades. As soon as Hana was done, I went to the bathroom and washed up.

I put on a dark green hoodie over my black 'Death-to-Barbie' t-shirt with black skinny jeans and black converse. My hair was in its usual style with my origami in place and I wore a plain grey stud.

I grabbed my bag and waited for Hana at the door.

Hana was wearing a brown sweater over a white shirt and a knee-length white skirt with white long socks and brown flats. She wore her glasses and her hair was in her usual style.

"Why don't you let your hair down and remove your glasses?" I told her. Hana was a very pretty. No, scratch that; she was beautiful but she hid it all under her thick sweaters, loose ponytail and those hideous glasses.

"I don't want unwanted attention," Hana said as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She grabbed her knapsack and smiled at me. "Besides, I feel comfortable this way. Now, let's go get some breakfast."

The college was quiet and still. Not many people were there. The cafeteria was open so Hana and I got some coffee and muffins.

A boy with red hair, the same boy that was with Itachi and Pein, came into the cafeteria riding on a dark blue skateboard that had the word 'SCORPION' with bright neon colors. He was wearing a camouflage hoodie with black ripped jeans and green Vans. Today, his headphones were a neon yellow color and they hung around his neck. He was carrying a black leather Nike shoulder bag.

"One black coffee, please." He said lazily.

He leaned against the counter and looked at us lazily, "Newbies?"

"Um hello," said Hana. "Yeah we're new here. I'm Hana and this is Konan." I gave a two fingered salute in greeting.

"The name's Sasori," he said as he grabbed his coffee. "You're not fan girls so I guess you're okay."

"We don't plan on fan girling either." I said as I nibbled on my chocolate muffin.

He smirked, "I can tell. After all, you did stand up to those sluts."

I chuckled, "Hana totally kicked butt yesterday."

"Even Itachi was impressed and I'll tell you this, Itachi is very hard to please." Sasori said as he winked at Hana who blushed. I snickered.

Sasori sighed, "I better get going. See ya around." He rode away on his skateboard out of the cafeteria.

"Well," said Hana. "At least some of the people here are nice."

"When there is good, evil is sure to rise." I told Hana.

Hana rolled her eyes, "Konan-chan, stop reading those Justice League comics; they're rubbing off on you!"

"Hey!" I protested. I loved Justice League; especially Green Lantern.

"Let's go outside for a while," said Hana. She grinned at me. "Maybe you'll see your _boyfriend."_ I groaned and poked the side of her head as she laughed.

We went out in front and sat under a tree, enjoying a coffee. Hana pulled out her textbook and journal and started to write notes.

"Hana," I started to say. "You're brain will explode one day if you study too much!"

"I'm simply making the soils of my thoughts rich with knowledge," Hana said with a smile. "I do not pollute it with Justice League comics."

"One more Justice League insult and I'm going to scribble 'Itachi' all over your journal." I threatened her.

Hana slowly put her journal behind her back, "You wouldn't."

I swiftly grabbed her journal and pulled out a sharpie. Hana grabbed the journal but I held on. We played a game of tug of war with the journal until it flew out of our hands and into someone else's.

"Here you go." The person said cheerfully. It was the boy who wearing the orange swirls mask. He was wearing a sky blue t-shirt that said 'Puking Rainbows Forever' which had a picture of a cloud barfing out rainbows with jeans and blue converse.

Hana took the journal from his hands and smiled, "Thank you." Hana shot me a glare and put the journal back in her bag.

"You're learning Zoology and Life Science too?" He beamed as he pointed at Hana's text book.

"Yes," said Hana. "You too?"

The boy nodded happily, "I'm Tobi! Who are you?"

"I'm Hana." Hana replied with a smile.

"Hana," Tobi said dreamily. "That means flower right? Tobi likes flowers . . ."

"Yeah," Hana said with a sheepish grin. "But my name doesn't mean flower. It means 'nose.'" That's one of the reasons Hana was bullied. People who knew what her name meant would call her 'Miss Nosy' and make up cruel jokes.

"But to smell flowers you need a nose," said Tobi. "So . . . your name means both!" Tobi clapped his hands happily as Hana smiled and thanked him.

Tobi then looked at me. I grinned sheepishly, "Hey, I'm Konan."

"Hello Konan!" Tobi said as he waved his hand vigorously. For a college student, he sure was childish. But it was cute.

"Are you taking the same course as Tobi?" Tobi asked me.

"Uh no," I told him. "I'm taking Music and Arts."

"Just like Deidara-senpai!" Tobi beamed. "And Sasori-senpai and Pein-san. Itachi- nii is in the business department."

"Hold up," I said as I held up my hands. "Did you say Itachi was your nii-san?"

Tobi nodded, "Itachi-nii is Tobi's cousin; he is one year older than Tobi!" He held up his index finger.

"So Pein is in Music and Arts too?" asked Hana. Tobi nodded. Hana grinned at me as I rubbed my temples and sighed.

"Hana-chan," Tobi said happily. "Tobi will take you to our classes!" Hana looked at me as if to ask for permission. I nodded and smiled.

"Sure Tobi," said Hana. "Lead the way."

"Okay! Let's-" Tobi looked at me and rubbed his head sheepishly.

"Sorry Konan-san," Tobi said sheepishly. "Tobi forgot you're not in Tobi's class." He then looked around and yelled, "DEIDARA-SENPAI!"

The blonde boy who looked like a girl was modeling something with clay in his hands and was leaning on the college building behind us. He looked at Tobi, annoyed, and yelled back, "WHAT DO YOU WANT, UN?"

"COME OVER HERE, QUICK!" Tobi yelled even louder. Hana and I had to hold our ears.

The blonde boy came over grumbling about something. He was wearing a black shirt with jeans and black Vans. His hair was tied in a half ponytail with his long bangs covering his left eye.

"You better have a good reason for disturbing me, un." He muttered. I also noticed he ended every sentence with 'un.' I wonder why.

"Tobi made new friends," Tobi beamed. "This is Hana-chan and Konan-san!"

Deidara looked at me and raised an eyebrow, "Sharpie girl?" I grinned and stuck my tongue out at him. Sharpie girl huh?

Tobi then looked at us, "This is Deidara-senpai. He's really good at art and modeling clay! But he is awfully moody and always says 'un.'"

Deidara twitched and bonked Tobi on the head, "Shut up, un."

Tobi rubbed his head, "That wasn't very nice, Deidara-senpai!"

"Who says I'm nice, un?" Deidara said childishly as he crossed his arms. Hana and I snickered.

"Anyway," said Tobi. "Hana-chan and Tobi have the same classes and Konan-san has the same classes as you! Can you _please_ escort Konan-san to the Music and Arts room? Don't worry; Konan-san isn't a fan girl!"

"Tobi, it isn't necessary." I told him. What a sweet kid; he got hit on the head just for me.

"Yes it is!" Tobi exclaimed. He looked at Deidara. "Please senpai? Please, please, please, _please?_"

Deidara sighed, "Fine! Just . . . don't be so loud, un."

"Yay!" Tobi cheered as he clapped his hands. He grabbed Hana's hand. "Let's go, Hana-chan!" Tobi dragged Hana away.

Deidara looked at me, "Well, let's get going Sharpie."

"I have a name, you know." I told him.

Deidara grinned, "I know. But I'm gonna call you Sharpie."

"Fine . . . Deidei!" I beamed. He rolled his eyes at his new nickname. We walked towards our classes and on the way I noticed Deidara was still modeling the clay in his hand.

"What cha making?" I asked him.

Deidara looked at the clay in his hand, "I don't know. It's like my hands have a mind of their own."

I looked at his hands. He was right; Deidara made a bird, a snake, then an ox and then several other things so fast and skillfully that if you blinked, you might have missed what he was making.

"Make a flower," I told him. "A rose."

He looked at me and sighed. His fingers moved skillfully and he made a perfect clay rose. I looked at him, "How did you do that so fast?"

"Practice," he said with a shrug. He smashed it and started to make something else.

He looked at the origami in my hair, "You do origami?"

"Yeah, it's a hobby." I told him.

He pulled out a piece of gum wrapper from his pocket and handed it to me, "Make a shuriken."

I nodded and started to fold the wrapper and make it a tiny shuriken. I showed it to him, "There."

He nodded, "Impressive."

"That's me." I said with a cheeky grin.

We finally arrived at the Music and Arts room.

"Well this is it." said Deidara.

The room was huge with several seats aligned in horizontal rows. It was quite spacious with different types of instruments at the back. I gave a low whistle; it was pretty darn kickass.

I saw a couple of familiar faces; Itachi gave me a smile, Sasori gave me a lazy nod and Pein didn't even notice me. Either that or he was ignoring me. Unluckily, two of the skanks, Fuyu and Aiko, were also in the same class; wonderful.

I took a seat next to a girl with long purple hair. She winkled her nose in disgust and looked away. Typical; people hate me already and I didn't even say anything!

The teacher came into the class shortly. She had purple hair tied in a spiky ponytail and brown eyes that had a devilish glint in them. She was wearing a long brown coat, kinda like the ones secret agents wear. She wore a black t-shirt and tight dark blue jeans with black sandals underneath.

She licked her lips like a snake that was ready to gobble up an innocent mouse, "Morning class. The name's Mitarashi Anko and I'll be your music teacher. Enough about me; introduce yourselves! Say your name and likes and dislikes. Let's start here." She pointed to a boy with brown hair and blue eyes.

Everyone gave an introduction of themselves turn wise turn. Fan girls called out Itachi, Sasori, Pein or Deidei's name. They either rolled their eyes or sighed when the fan girls did that and I couldn't help but snicker.

It was my turn next.

"Hey," I said to the class. "My name is Konan and I'm from Ame. I like music, running and origami. I dislike people who bother me and my best friend. " I took my seat and everyone else continued their introduction.

"Yo," Sasori said lazily. "The name's Sasori and I enjoy music, sleeping and skateboarding. I dislike waiting and keeping people waiting." His fan girls giggled and noted it down; pathetic.

"My name's Deidara," Deidara said as his hands molded the lump of clay. His fan girls giggled and prepared to take notes. How much dumber can you get? "I enjoy music, art and sleep. I dislike noise and annoyance, un."

"My name is Pein," Pein said in a flat voice. Fan girls blushed and started to gossip. "I enjoy music and silence; the two things which always stays in balance. I dislike noise and people who oppose god." Whoa, I never knew Pein was religious.

"Nice meeting you all," Anko said with a cheeky grin. "Everyone here has different things they like and dislike but you all have something in common; a love for music. Now today, we'll just sort out the people into different groups; musicians and singers. Now I want all those who want to become singers to raise your hand."

I guess rapping came under the singing category so I raised my hand. So did Pein and many others.

Fuyu looked at me and snorted, "Hey freak, you can't sing!"

"Speak for yourself." I muttered.

"Alright be quiet," said Anko. "Now the musicians please raise your hands."

Sasori, Deidara and the rest of the class raised their hands.

"Okay," said Anko. "Now that the groups have been divided, I'd like to introduce you to your other music teacher. He's awfully late." Anko mumbled out the last bit.

Finally, a man with spiky silver hair stepped into the room. He was wearing a mask and a head band which covered his left eye and face. He gave a grin and a wave, "Hello class."

"You're late!" Anko yelled as she pointed an accusing finger at him. The man held up his hands defensively, "I got lost on the road of life . . . again."

Anko twitched and then cleared her throat, "This is Hatake Kakashi. He will be taking care of the musicians and I'll be taking care of the singers."

Kakashi made a peace sign, "Yosh! Let's get going class; we'll be using the room next door." The musicians and Kakashi left, leaving the singers and Anko in the class.

Anko grinned like a Cheshire cat, "That's good; very good. Okay, so I bet some of you want to be rappers. Let's see how many; raise your hands."

Pein raised his hand and the girls started to cheer but Anko silenced them. I raised my hand and people started to whisper. I guess it was because I was the only girl who wanted to be a rapper. Anko looked at me, "Yo girlie, you sure you can rap?"

I twitched, "My name is not 'girlie;' it's Konan and yes, I can rap."

"Prove it then," Anko said as she leaned back in her chair. "I won't let you bringing my team down."

I clenched my fists, "I'll prove it to you."

Fuyu and Aiko started to laugh. Aiko wiped her tears, "You? Rapping? Yeah and pigs fly!"

"Give it up freak," Fuyu said with a sick laugh. "You're pathetic! Don't try to act so great."

I looked at them and smirked. I knew just what song to rap; it was a song I had written about the people who picked on me. I turned around so that I was right in front of them. I started my rap.

**_Uh. Yao! Yao!_**

**_I get it cracking like a bad back.  
Bitch talkin she the queen, when she looking like a lab rat  
I'm Angelina, you Jennifer  
Come on bitch, you see where Brad at  
Ice my wrists and I piss on bitches  
You can suck my diznik if you take this jizzes  
You don't like them disses, give my ass some kisses  
Yeah they know what this is, givin this the business  
Cause I pull up and I'm stuntin' but I ain't a stuntman  
Yes I'm rockin' Jordan but I ain't a jump man  
Bitches play the back cause they know I'm the front man  
Put me on the dollar cause I'm who they trust in  
Ayo SB, what's the fucks good?  
We ship platinum, them bitches are shipping wood  
Them nappy headed hoes but my kitchen good  
I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish  
A bitch would_**

**_You a stupid hoe, you a, you a stupid hoe,  
You a stupid hoe, you a, you a stupid hoe,  
You a stupid hoe, you a, you a stupid hoe,  
You a stupid hoe, yeah, you a, you a stupid hoe._**

**_You a stupid hoe, you a, you a stupid hoe,  
You a stupid hoe, you a, you a stupid hoe,  
You a stupid hoe, you a, you a stupid hoe,  
You a stupid hoe, yeah, you a, you a stupid hoe._**

Fuyu and Aiko stared at me, embarrassed. The whole class cheered for me while I took my seat. I looked at Anko who was smirking, "You still think I'll bring the team down?"

Anko shook her head, "You're okay."

I smirked to myself. Maybe I'll finally be able to make a difference in college. I looked at Pein who had a small smirk tugging his lips.

**Me: Sorry if there are any errors in the lyric; I typed it by listening to it. The song is Stupid Hoe by Nicki Minaj. I'm planning to add more of Nicki's songs for Konan in this fanfic.**

**Sasori: We're trying our best to make the chapters long, funny, exciting and worth your time. And of course, we'll try to update ASAP.**

**Me: By the way, don't you just love Tobi!**

**Tobi: Tobi's a good boy!**

**Me: Yes you are!**

**-Me and Tobi starts to sing the rainbow monkey (Code name: Kids Next Door XD) theme song and dance around-**

**Sasori-sigh- Please review! ^_^**


	4. Chapter 4

**Woo! And I'm back. Sorry for the delay; the exams are a major pain in the ass. However, now that the mid-terms are done, I can have a nice long summer and I can update my fanfics as well. **

_**AN IMPORTANT NOTIFICATION: PLEASE READ 'FLOWER IN THE RAIN' CHAPTER 3 ONCE AGAIN; THERE HAS BEEN A SLIGHT CHANGE!**_

**Well, here's chapter 4. Enjoy! ^_^**

**CHAPTER 4**

Whoa! A month has passed and I must say there hasn't been any trouble with me and Hana. If we went to separate colleges, it would have been tough without each other.

But Ame College was unique because it didn't focus only on one category. It had everything all in one compound; music and arts, medicine, engineering and technology, business and more. It was completely different compared to the other colleges.

In Ame College, they focused on how the candidates want to take up music; as a singer, a rapper or as a businessman, but the business part was learnt in the business course. In arts, you learnt acting and stuff but it wasn't associated with the music group unless there was a musical. The college didn't solely focus on one category. That's why I was happy that I got accepted into my dream college.

We also learnt a thing or two about the guys.

Sasori was a famous D.J who went by the name Scorpion, Deidei worked a part time job on the weekends as an art teacher for middle school students and Itachi and his brother, a guy named Sasuke, had a love-hate relationship going on.

Hana knew Tobi better than I did but I could tell the kid was hiding something . . . something behind his mask. Pein was as hard as a nut and it pissed me off. It's not that I'm _interested _in him but I was interested to know what type of person he was. I mean, there's more than what meets the eye right? I also recently found out that he was known as 'God of Ame' or 'Lord Pein.' Seriously? I think people are going nuts.

The five of them were known as the Akatsuki since Middle School and were extremely popular since they were a pretty awesome band which explained their fan girls. Pein was the vocals, lead rapper and guitarist, Itachi was the lead vocals and lead guitarist, Deidei was the bassist, Tobi was played the keyboard and Sasori was the drummer. However, when they started high school, they broke off.

I walked around the college after my morning classes were over. I wanted to walk around a bit before I went back my dorm.

As I walked, I thought about Pein's mysterious eyes. They contained so many secrets which, being the curious little cat I am, I wanted to uncover. Albert Einstein once said "Curiosity killed the cat." But being a rebel, it's impossible _not _to be curious.

As I passed the hallway, I saw a flyer. I immediately knew it was one of Hana's works. The flyer said 'Stop Child Labor!' in big black letters on top. It was about a program to help the children of the world who were being forced to work for survival.

The flyer showed a picture of small children working on the road and had a big red cross over it. Right below that picture was another one where children were smiling and playing football and the picture had a wide green tick on it. It talked about the college having a fund raising program for the weekend, which was World Child Labor Day. I grinned; Hana was a genius and I was gonna help her out.

I went back to the dorm to find Hana, busy typing away at her laptop. I cleared my throat and she looked up. She gave me a smile, "What's up?"

"Nothing much," I said as I sat next to her. I glanced at her screen. "Is it for that Child Labor thing?"

Hana beamed, "Yes it is! Tobi and I are trying extra hard to make it special and worth everyone's time."

"Let me know if you need help." I told her with a grin.

Hana smiled, "Actually, I was wondering if you could help me out with something, if you don't mind."

"Fire away!" I told her.

"Well," Hana started to say. "I was wondering if you could talk to Anko-san and your classmates if they could put up a musical."

I scratched the back of my head, "I'll give it a shot."

Hana smiled, "Thanks Konan-chan. I have to go to class now. See ya." She packed her things and left.

I went to the bathroom and washed my face. I decided to go to the back building. As I approached my destination, I heard a voice next to me.

"I thought I told you not to go there." I turned and saw Pein casually walking next to me. I scoffed, "Like I'd listen to you."

I started to walk faster but Pein caught up with me. Before I knew it, Pein and I were having a race. Both of us arrived at the same time.

"Not bad," said Pein. "For a girl."

I stuck my tongue out at him, "It was a tie so I get to stay."

We sat under the tree in silence. I wonder if I should ask Pein if he and the rest of the Akatsuki could perform at the Animal Helper's program. Then, Pein spoke, "What do you want to ask me?"

I sweat-dropped; what a mind-reader! I sighed, "The medical department is hosting a program for Child Labor Day and I was wondering if you and the rest of the Akatsuki could perform."

"Tobi told me about that," said Pein. "Seems bothersome. Besides, you know that the Akatsuki broke off."

I twitched, "Why can't you appreciate people doing something for the good of something else?"

"Because there is no 'good' in anything," He replied coolly. I was baffled. "There is only hatred and evil. Why should I waste my time?"

I clenched my fists. Who does this guy think he is? "Good and bad are two things that have to be in balance; otherwise the whole world will collapse. You say there is no good around. Maybe you don't see it because you're too busy brooding about something that went wrong."

There was an eerie silence and for a second there, I was scared that I had said too much. Pein stiffened and then relaxed. He sighed, stood up and left.

I shook my head, "What is with that guy?" Oh well; I guess some things are better left as a mystery.

Well if he wasn't doing something, I was. I headed for the music room. Anko was there listening to her iPod and sitting at her desk. I could hear 'Highway to Hell' by AC/DC being blared out of her ear buds.

"Anko-san." I said as I stood in front of her. She removed one of her ear buds and grinned at me, "Yo . . . Konan right? So what can I do for you today?"

"I was wondering if the music class could put on a concert for the Child Labor program that is being hosted by the Medical Department." I told her. I crossed my fingers in my pocket for good luck.

Anko placed her hand on her chin, "I was thinking of it too. But the Akatsuki broke up and won't be performing. People won't have their head in the game without their inspirational Akakt-"

"We don't need them," I cut in. Anko raised an eye brow at me. "Everyone in this college has chunks full of talent within them. Why do we need perfect when we can create perfect? We have two weeks time before the program; we can get the job done!"

Anko smirked, "You've got guts, I'll give you that. Alright, I'm in. I'll let the students know during class."

"Thank you, Anko-san." I told her. I bowed and started to leave.

"Oh and Konan?" said Anko. I looked back at her. She gave me her snake-like grin. "I'm expecting a mind-blowing performance from you. You're right about everyone having talent and you have great talent yourself. You have the potential; show the people that you're better than the Akatsuki."

I gulped. I grinned sheepishly, "Thank you and I'll try my best, Anko-san." Anko waved as I left the music room and headed back to the dorm to get my things.

I was walking down the hall when I saw Pein sitting on top of the tree in the back of the school. I felt I should apologize to Pein for what happened earlier. I took a deep breath and started to climb up the tree.

When I reached the branch he was sitting on, I noticed that he had his eyes closed and had a calm expression on his face. I looked at him, dazzled; he was so beautiful. He opened his eyes to reveal those hypnotizing purple eyes. He sighed, "What is it?"

"Listen," I started to say as I sat down. "I'm . . . _sorry_ for earlier. I was a bit hyped up, I guess." That was harder than I thought.

After a brief silence, he gave a small smirk, "You haven't apologized to people much, have you?"

I grinned, "Nope. So what do you say? Friends?" I held out my hand. He looked at me and spoke, "I don't consider you my friend."

I tilted my head, "Acquaintances?"

He shook his head. He looked at me and smirked again, "Not exactly . . . you'll know soon enough." He jumped down, landing gracefully on his feet, and left. After he was gone, I shook my head and jumped down as well. However, my landing wasn't as graceful as Pein's since I fell on my butt. Luckily, no one saw. I picked myself up and walked to class.

Anko called the two divisions of the music class together and made the announcement. The people were pretty hyped up. They immediately split into groups and started discussing while other individuals grabbed guitars and started to think of what song would be good.

"At least five group items and 10 individual items are expected from everyone. Those who aren't or cannot perform must help out the other participants in any way they can."

"Also," Kakashi started to say. "I've discussed it with the other teachers as well. The business department is putting up a debate, the engineering and technology department is providing and putting up the equipment, the arts department is putting up a small play, the medical department is hosting it and the music department is putting up a concert. The other departments are contributing as well. Now all you have to do is kick some ass!" The class cheered and went back to work.

I still couldn't help but think about what Pein had said.

"He said what?" Hana exclaimed. I shushed her and she grinned sheepishly as she covered her mouth. It was lunch time and we were sitting in the cafeteria. I was eating chilli fries and Hana was eating a veggie sandwich.

"He said what?" she said more softly.

"You heard me," I told her. "He said that he didn't consider me as his friend and not exactly as an acquaintance but something else. He said I'd know soon enough."

Hana placed a finger on her chin and thought for a while. Then she squealed, "If he doesn't consider you a friend, he must consider you as his girlfriend!"

"What?" I said, confused.

"Think about it," Hana said, getting hyped up. "He must like you and soon enough he'll declare his love for you and you'll be his girlfriend! This is fantastic! Oh, I gotta meet that guy, personally."

"Whoa, don't get your panties in a twist," I told her. "It's been a month and we hardly know each other! Besides, he doesn't seem like the type to mingle or hook up with girls. He can't like me."

"Love works in mysterious ways, Konan-chan." Hana said dreamily.

I sweat-dropped, "You've been reading those Twilight books again, haven't you? You're under the spell of that sparkly bitch!"

Hana gasped dramatically, "Edward Cullen is so romantic and sweet. He is not, I repeat, _not_ a sparkly bitch!"

"He is too!" I exclaimed. "And that's final." I crossed my arms and stuck my tongue out at her.

"You haven't even read the twilight books," Hana said accusingly. "How will you know whether if he's a sparkly bitch or not?"

"Easy," I said calmly as I put my hands behind my head and leaned on the chair. "I watched the Twilight movies; it sucked. Although, I think that Jacob guy has nice abs."

"The movies suck," Hana agreed. I looked at her and urged her to go on. She sighed. "Fine! Edward did look like a sparkly bitch in the movies. Happy?"

I grinned and nodded. Hana crossed her arms, "However, I still love Edward."

"And I love Jacob!" I told her childishly.

We were silent for a while but I broke it.

"Shouldn't you like Jacob instead of Edward?" I asked her. "I mean, Jacob's a werewolf and that's kind of a dog. The Inuzukas' ancestors are supposed to be associated with the canine species right?"

"Good point," said Hana. "But I find Edward more attractive. Plus, _if _the Inuzukas were somewhat like the Quileutes, my brother should be having well built muscles and abs and not a lazy couch potato.

"Hey, Kiba does have muscles," I said to Hana. "I noticed it during his football game last year; he was shirtless. The kid's got abs too; four packs at this age is pretty impressive. I would have dated him for his hot body if he wasn't younger than me."

Hana looked at me with a shocked expression and then we both started laughing. Everyone was staring but we didn't care. Soon after, we stopped laughing but we were still giggling and snickering. Hana was clutching her stomach and I was rubbing my cheeks. Damn it! They hurt from laughing.

"I hate you," Hana said playfully while she giggled. "First, you call Edward a sparkly bitch and now you're telling me about my younger brother's so-called _hot_ body!"

I snickered even though my cheeks hurt like hell, "I'm just being honest!"

Soon, lunch was over and I went back to my dorm. I decided to take a little nap but I couldn't sleep. Pein's words kept echoing in my mind and it was giving me a headache.

'_You'll know soon enough.'_ He had said. I groaned as I buried my head in my pillow and forced myself to go to sleep.

**Me: Team Jacob for life! No offence to the Team Edward lovers ^_^ so what do you think?**

**Sasori: I think it's quite okay, Psy-chan.**

**Me: Hi Sasori! Ne, where have you been?**

**Sasori: Video games with Deidara.**

**Deidara: That's right, un.**

**Me: Oo-kay. Well leave a feedback, dear readers.**

**All: Please review! ^_^**


	5. Chapter 5

**YO!**

**Now many of my readers suggested me to add a little jealousy among the characters and I did. Here's a little taste. Enjoy! ^_^**

**CHAPTER 5**

The next day, there were no classes from the afternoon since there was an explosion in the medical department. Right now, I'm currently looking for Hana; hope she didn't get sprayed by a deadly acid or something.

I was walking down the hall when I noticed that it was raining, as usual. But since yesterday night, it was raining quite heavily. Sometimes it caused floods to the houses near the coast but though the rain was heavy, it didn't look like this one could cause a flood. I loved the rain for it made everything pure and fresh. I was too busy looking at the rain that I bumped into someone.

"Watch it, un." Deidara said as he raised an eyebrow at me.

"I should be telling that to you." I replied. Then, I turned my attention back to the rain. The tiny droplets would bounce off the leaves of the trees and some clung on them, making it look like the leaves were producing tiny sparkling diamonds.

Deidara followed my gaze and sighed, "You like the rain?"

"I love the rain," I said with a small smile. "It purifies everything that has been tainted."

Deidara looked at the sky and then crossed his arms, "I don't believe that; the rain leaves mud which makes everything even dirtier. That also gives Tobi the opportunity to throw mud on me, un."

I laughed, "I didn't mean literally, silly!" An image of Deidara covered in mud popped up in my head and I couldn't control my laughter. Soon Deidara started to chuckle as well.

"Tobi is scared of the rain, you know." Deidara said softly.

I looked at him, "Why?"

Deidara sighed, "Something terrible happened to him long ago; and it happened in the rain. I can't tell you any more, sorry."

I shook my head, "It's alright. I just hope the kid's okay now."

"He get's insomnia, meaning he can't sleep when it's raining," Deidara replied. He rubbed his temples. "Trust me it's really hard having a roommate who is scared of the rain; especially since we're in the Land of _Rain,_ un."

"I can tell you care about him," I told him. "You look after him like a big brother would."

"He's annoying, un." Deidara said as he turned away. I noticed a tinge of pink creeping up to his cheeks. I couldn't help but snicker; he was so cute when he was blushing!

"I have to agree with you," I told him. Deidara looked at me. I looked back into the sky. "The rain can be a pain sometimes.

"Meaning?" Deidara said slowly.

"I've never been outside of Ame before," I explained. "And since it's always cloudy or raining here, I've never seen a rainbow."

Heck, I've never felt the sun rays!

"Never ever?" asked Deidara. "I thought you saw a rainbow that day we met; on the first day of college. Remember? There was a rainbow on Tobi's shirt."

I punched his arm as he chuckled, "Not that rainbow, idiot."

Deidara smirked, "I was just kidding. But seriously, you've never seen a rainbow?"

"Not even a glimpse." I said sadly. It's true; I've seen rainbows in pictures and on T.V and they looked beautiful; the seven colors that seemed to have been painted across the sky. But I've never seen one in person so it's kinda been a dream of mine to at least see one rainbow before I die.

"I've never seen fireworks before," said Deidara. I looked at him. He had a sad expression as he looked up into the sky. "I've seen them on T.V and in pictures but I've never seen it in person, un. The fireworks fascinates me because I feel it's a kind of art; a dazzling explosion of light. It's always been a dream of mine to see fireworks in person, un."

I looked at Deidara; he was pretty much in the same situation as me. I smiled and put an arm around his neck, "Tell you what? I'll make sure you see fireworks once before this year ends!"

Deidara raised an eyebrow, "And how will you do that?"

I grinned, "You just be patient and leave the details to me."

Deidara smirked, "In that case, I'll make you see a rainbow before this year ends, un."

"It's a deal," I told him. I retrieved my arm from his neck. "Well, I gotta go look for Hana. Catch ya later."

"See ya." Deidara said with a soft smile, not a smirk, a smile. Then, he did something surprising; he kissed my cheek and left without another word. I felt the heat rush to my cheeks. That was totally unexpected! I snapped out of my trance and started to walk away. I wonder why he did that.

I could have sworn I saw purple eyes watching me but I shook my head; must have been my imagination.

I opened my dorm's door and found Hana lying on her bed and listening to my iPod. When I entered, she removed the earphones and raised an eyebrow at me, "How come all your songs are rock, rap or heavy metal? You hardly have any pop in here!"

I shrugged, "Probably because I _love_ that kind of music."

Hana shook her head, "Unbelievable! Well, at least you had songs by The Beatles in there. Otherwise I would have gone ballistic listening to Bring Me The Horizon scream and yell how they got a secret and that they're gonna keep it."

I laughed, "Hey! 'Chelsea Smile' is a hardcore song and it's awesome." Suddenly an image of Deidara smiling popped into my head. That made my cheeks heat up even more.

Hana looked at me, "Konan-chan, you okay?"

"Y-yeah," I managed to say. Great, now I was stuttering. "Why do you ask?"

"Your cheeks are really red," she told me. It made me blush even more when she said that. "Are you having a fever?" Hana placed her cool hand on my forehead and gasped.

"You're face is really hot," she told me. "Are you ill?"

I shook my head, "No, not at all. I was . . . out in the rain that time. That must it."

"Konan-chan, you're hiding something." Hana told me as she placed her hands on her hips. Damn it! Screw Hana for being able to read me like a book.

"It's nothing!" I said defensively. Of course, it came out a little too quickly.

"Spill it!" Hana demanded.

I groaned and threw my head back on the pillow, "Leave me alone!"

Hana was silent for a while then she gasped, "You're not having a fever . . . you're blushing!"

"Shut up!" I mumbled

"What happened?" Hana asked me as she sat on my bed. "Did Pein say he likes you?"

"No." I mumbled.

"Did he talk to you?"

"No."

"Did he-"

"This has nothing to do with him!" I exclaimed.

"Somebody else?" asked Hana.

"Deidara." I replied.

Hana scooted closer to me, "So you like him now?"

"No!" I exclaimed. "It's nothing like that. It's just . . ."

"Just what?" Hana urged.

"That time, we were talking." I started to say.

"And?" Hana prompted. Crap; this was getting more and more awkward.

"He . . . kissed my cheek." I whispered out the last bit.

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite get that. Can you please repeat?"

"HE KISSED MY CHEEK!" I snapped.

Hana looked at me with a shocked expression. Three, two one-

"OH MY GOSH!" Yup, Hana has now exploded.

Hana squealed and started to clap her hands like a crazy person. I sweat-dropped, "Hana, you're starting to creep me out."

"This is amazing!" Hana beamed. "Now you have two hot guys crushing on you!"

"Where the hell did you get that conclusion from?" I asked her.

"From your conversation with Pein yesterday and Deidara's gesture today," Hana gave me a sly smile. "So who would you choose?"

"No one," I told her. "I don't like them that way."

"Then why did you blush so much when Deidara kissed your cheek?" Hana asked me. "Why do you say Pein's name when you're sleeping?"

"One, I blushed because it was unexpected," I told her. "Two, since when did I say Pein's name in my sleep?"

"Last night," Hana said proudly. "You were muttering 'Pein . . . Pein . . .'"

"I was not!" I told her.

Hana raised an eyebrow and grabbed her voice recorder; the one which she used to record her notes and lessons when she had to do some other work. She hit play and a voice started to speak.

"Pein . . . Pein . . . stupid . . . echo." Sure enough, that was my voice. I blushed again.

"You were dreaming about him." Hana accused.

'I don't know what I was dreaming about," I told her. Okay, that was a cheesy lie. "I forgot."

Hana rolled her eyes, "Yeah right."

I sighed, "It's nothing like that, okay? It's just . . . Pein makes me curious and Deidara's gesture surprised me."

Hana sighed, "Suit yourself; but I still think that the whole love triangle is awesome!"

I groaned, "Now where did the love triangle come from?"

"Easy," Hana said with a grin. "Deidara likes you but you like Pein!"

"And Pein likes Deidara?" I asked, amused.

"It doesn't work that way." said Hana.

"It would be cute if it did." I said with a smirk.

Hana stood up and twirled around the room, "Oh, it's just too romantic!" She started to hum and dance with an invisible partner around the room.

There was a knock at the door and I went to open it. The minute I opened the door, Hana tripped over my bag, which was on the floor, and ended up falling on top of our visitor. Guess who it was?

"Are you okay?" Itachi asked. Both of them were on the floor with Hana on top of Itachi. Hana opened her eyes and realized the position they were in. She turned tomato red and quickly stood up.

"I'm sorry!" Hana mumbled as she bowed her head. I couldn't hold back; I burst out laughing so hard that I fell off the bed. I banged my head pretty hard but that didn't stop my laughter.

"Now _that's _romance!" I yelled in between giggles.

Itachi simply chuckled as Hana turned bright red.

"It's alright Hana," said Itachi. "I was wondering if you could lend me your notes; Shizune-san needs it." Shizune was Hana's teacher.

Hana nodded and went to her bedside. She pulled out her journal. I smirked; too bad I got to it before she did.

She gasped in horror when she saw the cover. I started to laugh again. I drew chibi Itachi all over her journal and scribbled childish things like 'I heart Itachi,' 'Itachi forever!' and 'Konan is my god.'

Hana grabbed our dorm keys and chucked it in my direction but I ducked so it missed me. I stuck my tongue out at her, "Revenge is way too sweet!"

Itachi saw the journal and started to chuckle making Hana blush even deeper. "I'm sorry." Hana apologized again.

"It's okay," Itachi said with a smile. He then he tilted his head cutely at Hana. "You're cute when you blush."

After hearing those words, Hana fainted and Itachi had to catch her.

"Did I say something wrong?" asked Itachi.

I grinned, "Nope, You just made her day!"

I took Hana and laid her on her bed. I handed Itachi the journal, "Hope you don't mind; Hana has been teasing me way too much and I took revenge!"

Itachi chuckled, "I see. I don't mind at all." He thanked me for the journal and left. I listened to some music on my iPod and after a few minutes. Hana woke up.

"What happened?" she said groggily.

I grinned, "Itachi called you cute and you fainted."

Hana took a few seconds to remember what happened, and then she threw herself back in bed and groaned, "That was so embarrassing!"

"Chill out." I told her. She glared at me.

I sighed, "Sorry Hana, I was just having some fun."

Hana raised an eyebrow at me. Then she smiled, "Apology accepted."

"I hope Tobi's okay," said Hana. "I mean, he wasn't present in the morning classes."

"Tobi's scared of the rain." I told her.

"What?" Hana said, baffled. "What do you mean?"

"Deidei told me Tobi was scared of the rain because of something that happened long ago," I said with a sigh. "He said that Tobi can't sleep when it's raining and that makes him weak and sick. That's all he told me."

Hana hugged her knees, "I hope he's doing okay."

"He's strong," I said with a grin. "He'll be A-okay!"

After a brief silence, I snickered and looked at Hana, "Itachi thinks you're cute!"

Hana blushed and threw a pillow at me. This is the most fun I've had in years . . . and it felt really good.

**Me: DeiKonan okay for you? Hope it is . . . sorry it ain't that long. I'll make Itachi jealous in the next chapter.**

**Sasori: Stay tuned for more envious characters and cute moments.**

**Me: Yeah, cause Sasori's the one making Itachi jealous.**

**Sasori: Yea- wait what?**

**Me: Please review! ^_^ **


	6. Chapter 6

**YO!**

**Sorry dudes, projects were being a pain in the ass. Enjoy the chapter.**

**CHAPTER 6**

Child Labor day was in two days and I still haven't figured out what to perform. Damn it! I don't even have time to write a new song; heck, I don't think I could write a rap about children even if I tried.

I crumpled another piece of paper and threw it in the dustbin next to me. I groaned and shook my head vigorously. Hana laughed, "Your head might fall off!"

We were currently in the school football field, sitting on the bleachers. It was quite empty today; that's unusual.

I was wearing a grey Linkin Park t-shirt and black skinny jeans with white DCs. My hair was in its usual style with my origami in place and I wore a grey stud, with a picture of a rain drop and a chain which had a peace pendant dangling from it.

Hana was wearing a white t-shirt, which had a picture of a butterfly, with grey track pants and red flip flops. Her hair was in a higher than usual ponytail and her glasses were in place.

Hana was currently eating some peeled oranges while I kept working on my lyrics. She pulled out a wet tissue from her bag and wiped my forehead, "Geez, you're sweating."

I took the tissue from her, "Thanks."

Hana pulled out her iPod and started to listen to some music. I pulled out one of her earphones and put it in my own ear.

Hana raised an eyebrow, "I thought you were working."

I grinned, "It's my break time!"

The song that was playing was 'Can't Help Falling in Love with You' by A-Teens. I looked at her and sang along. However, I changed the words of the chorus.

_**Ko-nan says,  
only fools rush in.  
But Hana  
can't help,  
falling in love  
With ITACHI! **_

I laughed as Hana turned pink and punched my arm. Hana crossed her arms and pouted, "I'm not in love with Itachi."

"I know," I told her. "You're _falling _in love with him!" Hana stuck her tongue at me as I fell off the bleachers laughing.

Sasori came skateboarding by us with Itachi walking beside him. Sasori was wearing a red cardigan over a white t-shirt and jeans with white sneakers. Today, his headphones were a blood red color. It always amuses me to see Sasori as he always had a different colored headphone on every day.

Itachi was wearing a grey long-sleeved shirt with jeans and black converse. He had a black jacket over his shoulder and had his hands shoved into his pockets. He gave us a small smile and Hana turned a bit pink. I smirked to myself.

"Good morning," Sasori said lazily. He raised an eyebrow. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Trying to die." I said sarcastically.

Hana sighed, "Konan-chan, don't be rude. We're simply relaxing. And you?"

"Sasori gave out a sigh while Itachi chuckled, "Sasori here is screwed."

"Why?" I asked him.

"My sister told me to send her a list of medicinal herbs available in Ame." Sasori muttered.

"Apparently," said Itachi. "Sasori here forgot to ask Shizune-san and now she's gone on leave for a very long time. So his sister is going to murder him for not e-mailing her what she needed."

"Medicinal herbs?" I asked.

"My younger sister aims to be a doctor," said Sasori. "She's studying in Konoha right now and is doing everything she can to surpass her master; Tsunade."

"Hold on," I said as I closed my eyes. "You mean that old but really pretty blonde lady with the really, _really _big-"

"Yes." Itachi cut in. I snickered as he cleared his throat. I guess he wasn't used to hearing or saying words like boobs. Tee hee.

I'd never been to Konoha. Hana was from Konoha. She was born there and had moved to Ame since her father was from Ame.

After her father had left them, she was planning to go back to Konoha with her mom but that's when she met me so her mom and her stayed back in Ame until we completed middle school and when we started high school, her mom and Kiba left for Konoha while both of us stayed back since we were fond of Ame.

Hana pulled out a pen drive from her bag, "I have the list in here. I was researching and I got them from Shizune-san. You can e-mail it from my drive, if you want."

Sasori looked at her for a while and then grinned. I gotta admit he was pretty cute when he was smiling and not wearing a lazy look on his face.

He took the pen drive from Hana and hugged her, "You're the best! You know I think you should be my wife someday, since you're so dependable."

Hana lowered her head and her face turned a thousand shades of red. I snickered and looked at Itachi. His face seemed emotionless but I knew better.

Sasori left riding on his skateboard. Before he left the grounds, he looked back and called out, "Thanks wifey!"

This caused Hana to blush even deeper. Itachi simply smiled, "Well I'll see you guys around."

He started to walk away but I grabbed his hand. He looked at me and raised an eyebrow, "What?"

I grinned and pulled out a wet tissue from Hana's bag; she was too red to even notice I was touching her stuff.

I put it on Itachi's forehead and grinned, "I'm putting out the fire."

"Fire?" Itachi asked confused.

I nodded, "I'm putting out the flames of jealousy that burns around you!" Itachi sighed and shook his head as he left.

I looked at Hana, "You got your wish, babe."

"Wish?" Hana asked.

"Your wish of having two hot guys liking you have come true!" I exclaimed. Hana stuck her tongue out at me as she blushed crimson.

Suddenly, Hana's phone started to ring. She looked at the caller ID and sighed. She answered it, "Hey Kiba."

"It's Kiba?" I said with a grin. "Put it on loudspeaker mode."

"Hey sissy!" Kiba's voice said cheerfully . . . and a bit nervously.

Hana twitched at her old nickname, "Stop calling me that."

"Yo man!" I said cheerfully.

"Hey Konan," he beamed. "How's college treating ya?"

"Pretty good," I told him. "Oh and you won't believe the stuff that has happened here."

"Skype me and update will ya?" said Kiba.

I chuckled, "You betcha!"

"Listen," said Kiba. "Can you . . . pick us up? Me and my friends, I mean?"

Hana pinched the bridge of her nose, "Kiba, you're all the way in Konoha and we're in Ame. How on earth do you-"

"We're in Ame." Kiba said quickly.

"And just what are you doing here?" Hana asked slowly. Kiba gulped on the other end of the phone. Though it'll wound his male pride a thousand times admitting it, he's really scared of his sister; his _only_ sister. However, he loved her a lot, I can tell.

"We . . . went to a . . . party and . . . I drank a bit but only a little bit! Then things got crazy. We talked, we danced and now . . . here we are!" Kiba said with a nervous laugh.

"Woo!" I yelled. "Kiba, you're finally becoming a real man!" Hana glared at me and I smiled sheepishly at her.

"Just what happened after your 'little bit of drinking?'" asked Hana.

"I don't know!" exclaimed Kiba. "I don't remember and now we're stuck. My car's not working either."

"_Your _car? You mean you took mom's car?" Hana yelled. Okay; Kiba has now pushed her buttons.

"I asked her permission!" Kiba protested. "She said it was okay since she has a day-off today."

"Have you called her?" asked Hana.

"I wanted to but she's been stressed lately and I thought she needed all the rest she could get." explained Kiba.

"In other words, you chickened out." I stated.

"Konan, I thought you were on my side!" Kiba whined.

Hana looked like she was going to destroy anything in her way. I patted her back, "Calm down will ya? This is a great chance to meet your brother again!"

Hana was silent for a while and then she sighed, "Fine! Where are you?"

"We're outside," Kiba paused and said something to his friends. "We're outside the old warehouse located near the woods."

"We'll be there," said Hana. "But once I find you, your ears are going to get confiscated."

Kiba chuckled nervously, "Very funny, sissy."

Hana smirked and snapped her phone shut. She looked at me, "You're coming with me right?"

I grinned and nodded, "Of course! I got to meet the kid again." We walked out of the football grounds and back to our dorms to drop off our stuff before we left.

I was fine with what I was wearing at the time and Hana wore a maroon sweater over her t-shirt. That's when I realized . . .

"We don't have a car." We said to each other in union.

Hana thought for a while. Then she smiled, "I think I know someone who does."

...x...

"You want to borrow my car?" said Itachi.

"Yes," said Hana. For once, she wasn't blushing mad red when she was talking to Itachi. Although . . . she did look a little bit pink. "My brother and his friends got himself into trouble and I need to pick him up."

"I see," Itachi said with a smirk. "I could drive you if you want."

"Yeah Hana," I agreed. "You should let Itachi watch while you confiscate Kiba's ears." Hana blushed and punched me in the arm. Itachi simply chuckled.

Itachi's phone started to buzz and he answered.

"Yes?" he said flatly. He listened to the person on the other end and then sighed. "Fine." He shut his phone and shoved it back into his pocket.

"Sorry," he said as he shook his head. "I'm afraid Sasori has taken my car to town to email that list since the internet facility in the college isn't working."

"It's okay." Hana said with a small smile.

"I know someone who's free," said Itachi. "He doesn't go anywhere much so maybe he can drop you guys."

"Who?" I asked.

"Deidara," explained Itachi. "Apparently, he and Tobi are here in the college and aren't going out today. You can ask Deidara to drop you guys."

Hana gave me a sly smirk and then she smiled at Itachi, "Thank you, Itachi."

We started to leave but Itachi called out to us.

"Hana, your brother is Inuzuka Kiba correct?" asked Itachi.

Hana nodded, "Yes. Do you know him?"

"Not really," said Itachi. "But I did hear my foolish brother mention him once or twice. Just in case he's with your brother, please flick his forehead for me."

Hana nodded dumbly while I snickered, "You got it."

We went to find Deidara in the cafeteria but it was quite empty. Tobi came running towards us to greet us.

"Hello!" He said cheerfully.

Hana smiled, "Hey Tobi. Have you seen Deidara-san?"

Tobi scratched his head, "Senpai sprained both his wrists while modeling clay and he's now resting in his room."

"Great." I muttered.

"What's the matter?" asked Tobi, as he tilted his head cutely. "Tobi will help!"

"You see," said Hana. "My brother and his friends came to Ame and now they're in some kind of trouble so we need to get to where they are."

Tobi raised his hand eagerly as he jumped up and down, like a child who knows the answer to the question asked by the teacher, "Tobi will take you there!"

"You have a car?" I asked him.

Tobi shook his head, "Tobi will borrow Deidara-senpai's car." He pulled out a car key from his pocket. The key that a rectangular keychain which had the name 'Deidara' written on it.

"Are you sure Tobi?" asked Hana. "We wouldn't want you to get into trouble."

"No way!" exclaimed Tobi. "Tobi wants to help!"

I grinned, "Okay Tobi, Let's go."

Deidara's car was awesome; it was a sleek black Mercedes Benz. Tobi stepped into the driver's seat while Hana took the seat next to him, in the front. I sat at the back.

"Where do you want to go?" asked Tobi.

"The old warehouse outside of town; near the woods." Hana said as she closed her eyes.

Tobi put the key and started the car. The engine roared to life and Tobi stomped on the accelerator. Soon, we were out of the college parking in a flash.

Tobi drove like a maniac. It was awesome; everything zoomed past us so fast. He even knocked over some trash cans but he just kept driving. Hana didn't look too good; actually, she looked a little green.

He made a sharp turn as he tried to avoid hitting the cat that was innocently licking its paws before Tobi's driving scared it off. Tobi opened the window and yelled out as looked back, "SORRY KITTY!"

We reached the old warehouse. Tobi skidded to a stop and it literally spun the car about twice before it stopped. All was silent for a while; Hana looked like she was going to faint, Tobi was breathing hard, and my eyes, I bet, were as wide as owl's.

Then I laughed. I patted Tobi's shoulder, "Tobi that was some killer driving back there!"

Tobi scratched his head sheepishly, "Thank you. Tobi can't drive actually; only a little bit."

"Well I'll tell you this; to me that was most fun and wild ride of my life!" I said with a grin.

"A-alive?" Hana squeaked. I looked at her. She looked really pale so I took out a wet tissue and placed it on her forehead.

"Maybe Hana-chan should stay in the car," said Tobi. "Tobi will take care of Hana-chan!"

I nodded, "Okay. I'll go around the back and see if they're there." I stepped out of the car and started to walk towards the old building.

**Me: Not much SasoHana but I'll make loads more next time…. =)**

**Sasori: Why me?**

**Me: Because I love you!**

**Sasori: . . . okay =)**

**Me: Please review! ^_^ **


	7. Chapter 7

**YO!**

**Enjoy ^_^ Sorry, I just **_**had**_** to introduce the Naruto guys. SasoHana in the next chapter, for sure.**

**CHAPTER 7**

As I neared the building, I heard voices.

"This is your fault!" a loud voice yelled. "If you hadn't been so drunk, we wouldn't be in this mess!"

"My fault?" yelled back a familiar voice. "I'm not the only one who was drunk!"

I stepped into view to see a couple of boys fighting and one trying to break them off. Three of them were simply shaking their heads and leaning against a car; Tsume-san's car to be exact.

I saw Kiba was one of the boys who were fighting. His spiky brown hair was messier than ever and his eyes, that were black and had silted pupils, were narrowed at the kid he was fighting with. He also had red triangles painted on his cheeks, like his sister, and was wearing a grey hoodie and faded jeans with white sneakers.

I smirked as I leaned on the building.

"When's your sister gonna get here?" grumbled the kid who had been fighting with Kiba.

"She's already here." I said. All of them looked at me. Kiba grinned and tackled me with a hug. I hugged back with equal force.

"God, it's good to see you!" I told him.

"It's great to see you!" Kiba exclaimed. He looked at his friends. 'This is my best buddy, Konan. Konan these are my friends, Naruto, Shikamaru, Neji, Gaara and Sasuke."

He pointed out to each guy whose name he called out.

Naruto was the kid he was fighting with and he had blonde hair and cerulean eyes. He had tan skin and three whisker-like scars on each cheek. He was wearing a yellow t-shirt, which had a picture of a ramen bowl, with black skinny jeans and golden DCs.

Shikamaru looked like Sasori in a way since both had lazy expressions. He had black eyes and hair which he tied in a spiky ponytail making his head look like a pineapple. He was wearing a piercing on his left ear and a dark green hoodie jacket with jeans and black converse.

Neji was the boy who was breaking up the fight and had long brown hair, which for some reason looked very silky, that was tied in a low ponytail and lilac eyes. He looked very mature and calm and was wearing a white long-sleeved shirt with grey skinny jeans and black converse.

Gaara was a miniature Sasori with jade colored eyes. He had the same spiky red hair and wore some eyeliner around his eyes. He had a tattoo which said 'Love' in Kanji on the left side of his forehead and was wearing a black leather jacket over a white shirt and jeans with black Vans.

Sasuke looked exactly like Itachi, minus the smile and long hair. He had bluish black hair that was spiked up rebelliously at the back and the same onyx eyes. He was wearing a black high-collared t-shirt and black jeans with dark blue Vans. I wonder if he's Itachi's brother . . .

"I thought you sister was coming." Neji said monotonously.

"She's here," I told them. "She's just a little dizzy because of the ride here. She'll be here shortly." Kiba gulped and I patted his back.

I looked at Sasuke, "Itachi's brother?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow and shoved his hands into his pockets, "Hn."

"What does that mean?" I asked him.

"That means yes in teme language." Naruto said with a grin.

"Dobe." Sasuke muttered. Naruto stuck his tongue out at him.

"You brother told me to give you something in case you're here." I told him with a smile. He looked at me lazily. I walked towards him and flicked his forehead. He rubbed the spot where I flicked and glared at me.

I chuckled, "You are nothing like Itachi, aren't you?"

Kiba cleared his throat, "Konan, we have to get back to Konoha. Our parents already lectured us this morning." The others groaned.

I nodded, "I'll ask Hana."

At that moment, a hand grabbed Kiba's ear and pulled hard. Kiba cried out in pain, "Why'd you do that, sissy?"

"For taking mom's car and for not being responsible!" Hana yelled.

"Kiba's sister is scary," Shikamaru muttered. "Troublesome; she's just like my mom."

I snickered, "I agree, Hana is scary. But Kiba's mom is scarier." Trust me; I know. One time, we all stayed up late when she told us not to . . . well it was Kiba and me since Hana being the good girl, obeyed her mom. They next day we overslept and were late for school and boy did we get out ears pulled.

"Okay," Hana smiled as she looked at the others. "I'm Hana. Now give me quick introductions of yourselves to me." The boys silently muttered their names.

Tobi soon joined us and when he saw Sasuke, he came running over. He immediately jumped on the poor guy to hug him.

"SASUKE! SASUKE! SASUKE! GREAT TO SEE YOU!" Tobi exclaimed while shaking Sasuke back and forth.

"Tobi get off of me!" Sasuke muttered as he pushed Tobi off. Tobi crossed his arms, "That's not very nice!"

Tobi went over to Naruto and the two of them started to jump up and down.

"GREAT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!" They yelled to each other. Wow. I wonder if they were brothers.

"Are you brothers?" I couldn't help but ask.

Tobi shook his head, "Naruto is not Tobi's brother. Naruto is Pein-san's brother!"

I almost choked, "Pein's brother. But . . . you're so cute and bubbly. Pein is just plain moody!" I crossed my arms.

Naruto blushed a bit and grinned, "You're right; my brother is moody. It's hard to believe we're related, isn't it?"

I nodded in full agreement. Hana giggled, "Your boyfriend's brother."

Naruto and Tobi gasped, "You're dating him?" Both were equally loud. I bet they were bothers in the previous life.

I vigorously shook my head, "No way. We're not even friends."

Tobi and Naruto looked at each other and then shrugged.

Tobi then saw Gaara and looked at him really closely like he was an alien. Gaara raised an eyebrow and Tobi clapped his hands, "You're Sasori-senpai's brother aren't you?"

"I knew you were related to him!" I exclaimed. "No wonder you look alike!"

"I look nothing like him." Gaara muttered. But I knew better. And then it hit me . . .

"Hey Hana," I called out. I slung my arms over Sasuke's and Gaara's shoulder. "One of these guys would be your brother-in-law in the future!"

"Brother-in-law?" the two of them said in union. Hana turned pink and glared at me, "Will you drop that subject already?"

I looked at the two boys, "Hana here caught the attention of both your brothers and someday, she'll marry one of them. Don't worry; she'll make an amazing sister!" Sasuke and Gaara looked at Hana with an amused expression.

"What?" exclaimed Kiba. "Hana and guys? Yeah right! And pigs fly." Hana yanked Kiba's ear once more making him whine in protest and pain.

Tobi gasped, "Hana-chan, if you marry Itachi-nii . . . we'll be family!" Tobi started to dance around like crazy and Hana blushed even more.

Suddenly, Tobi's phone started to buzz. Tobi looked at the number and beamed, "ITACHI-NII! YOU'RE GETTING MARRIED!"

I couldn't control my laughter. Even Kiba and Naruto fell to the ground laughing while Neji, Shikamaru, Gaara and Sasuke smirked. Hana was now turning a deeper shade of red.

Tobi had put the phone on loud speaker mode so we could hear Itachi's voice.

"Erm . . . That's nice, Tobi; I'm jumping with joy," Itachi said slowly and a bit awkwardly. Then he cleared his throat. "I have a message to you from Deidara, since he can't use his hands to call you. Here, talk to him."

Deidara spoke through the phone, "Tobi, you are so dead for taking my car, un."

"But senpai," Tobi protested. "It was an emergency."

"Whatever," Deidara muttered. 'I'm gonna kill you, un."

"Your hands are sprained." Tobi stated nosily.

"Still dead." Deidara said and I was positive that he was smirking on the other end of that phone. Tobi gulped then sighed, "Itachi-nii! I met Sasuke."

"Hello, otouto. Someone please flick his forehead for me." said Itachi.

"Shut up." Sasuke muttered.

I snickered, "Already done."

Tobi yelled goodbye into the phone and shoved it back into his pocket.

"I'll fix the van." I said as I headed for the black SUV that was behind us.

"Hold on," said Hana. I looked at her as she crossed her arms. "Since when can _you_ fix cars?"

I grinned, "Tsume-san taught me a thing or two. She said she worked part-time as a mechanic and taught me a few things."

I opened the back of the van and grabbed the tools I needed. Then, I started to work. After about 10 minutes I was done.

I wiped my forehead and grinned, "That's done! Everything is good to go."

"Okay," said Hana. "I'm going to ask my mom to pick you up from the borders of Ame."

"Tobi will drive!" Tobi volunteered happily.

Hana gulped and grinned nervously, "Tobi, why don't you . . . drive Deidara-san's car. We'll need it to get back to college afterwards!" Tobi thought about it and nodded happily. Hana quietly released a sigh of relief.

"I'll ride with you!" Naruto said with a grin. Tobi nodded happily.

"I'll drive the van then." said Kiba.

Hana shook her head, "No, I'm sorry, but I'm not going to trust any of you with the wheel so _I'll _drive."

"Since when can _you _drive?" Kiba and I asked in union.

Hana smiled, "Mom taught me a couple of things too." I stuck my tongue out at her. Great; now I was the only one who didn't know how to drive.

"Let's go." Gaara said flatly.

Hana started the car and drove the car at an average and cautious speed. Kiba groaned, "Hana, you drive like a grandma!"

"Would you like it if I drop you off to your punishment quickly?" Hana asked sweetly. Kiba shook his head and shut up.

Tobi and Naruto followed us and Tobi was going at it with his crazy driving. I could see Naruto throwing his hands in the air and yelling something.

Shikamaru smirked, "I can see you didn't let him drive."

I pouted, "I wish I rode with them."

Hana handed me her phone, "Konan-chan, please call mom and tell her everything."

I nodded and dialed the number. After five rings, a gruff woman's voice answered, "Tsume's phone."

"Hey Tsume-san," I said with a grin. "It's Konan."

"Hey there," Tsume beamed. "How's college treating ya? How's Hana?"

"We're both great," I told her. "Listen, can you please come to the borders of Ame?"

"Why?" asked Tsume.

"You see Kiba and his friends are here and-"

"SAY WHAT?" Tsume boomed. Kiba shrunk in his seat. "He said he was going out for a party with his friends!"

"Yeah," I said slowly. "But I guess they had too much fun with the partying and drinks and now they're in Ame."

Tsume sighed, "Alright, I'll be there. Tell Kiba that he's in big trouble . . . and that he drinks like a girl!" And with that Tsume hung up.

I looked at Kiba, "She told me to tell you that you're in big trouble and that you drink like a girl." His friends chuckled softly while Kiba crossed his arms and pouted.

Hana stopped in front of a ramen shop in town. I looked at her, "What's wrong?"

"Let's get some ramen," said Hana. "It'll be a while before mom get's here. Besides, I bet none of you have eaten breakfast. Let's go; it's my treat."

Tobi and Naruto stopped the car abruptly behind us. Naruto stepped out grinning like crazy, "That was awesome, man!" Tobi clapped his hands happily.

"Let's get ramen." I called out.

"RAMEN!" Naruto yelled as he ran inside.

Neji shook his head, "It happens every time he hears the word 'Ramen.'" I chuckled.

We headed inside and ate our ramen quietly; except for Kiba and Naruto. Tobi didn't want to eat. Pity; I thought I could see the guy behind the mask. Oh well.

Naruto and Kiba ate three bowls and the rest of us ate one bowl each. After we were done, we were back on the road.

It was quite a long drive. It wasn't raining much on the borders of Ame; just a drizzle. Today, you could see a teensy bit of sunlight peeping through the thick clouds. I smiled as I stuck my head out of the window.

Hana sighed, "Your head might get cut off."

I scoffed, "That's just a lie told by parents to prevent their kids from sticking their head out of the window." A truck passed us and, dare I say it, it almost took my head with it.

Hana laughed, "Told ya!" I stuck my tongue out at her and leaned back in my seat.

I opened the dashboard, hoping to find a good CD to listen to but I found something else; a dark blue lacy women's underwear.

I gingerly held it up, "Uh . . . what's this?"

Hana looked at it and gasped, "Kiba!"

"It isn't mine!" Kiba protested.

"Well it's either one of you is gay or one of you got kinky with a girl yesterday." I said as I raised an eyebrow.

"Not mine." Sasuke said monotonously.

"Not mine either." Gaara muttered.

"Definitely not mine." Neji said curtly.

"Troublesome, I'm not gay." Shikamaru said lazily.

"Don't look at me!" Kiba said defensively.

There was a brief silence before the boys spoke in union.

"Naruto." They all muttered. Kiba groaned and dialed a number.

"What?" Naruto's voice yelled out. From the background, I could hear AC/DC's 'Back in Black.'

"You wouldn't happen to own a dark blue lacy women's underwear would you?" asked Kiba.

Naruto laughed, "Real funny, man. I'm not gay and I don't have a girlfriend. Why?"

"There's one in the van," I explained. "The guys claimed it's not theirs."

"You sure they're not lying?" said Naruto.

"Shut up!" Kiba yelled as he snapped his phone shut.

"You think its Tsume-san's?" I said quietly. There was an eerie silence but it was broken by Hana, Kiba and me, who started to laugh like crazy.

"Yeah right," I said as I stifled a snicker. "Tsume-san's as hard as a rock and is not into stuff like lacy undergarment."

"I wonder where it came from." Hana mused.

We finally reached the border of Ame. There was a huge stone gate way which had a picture of a raindrop and next to it, a message written in golden letters.

'_Thank you for visiting Ame.'_

I knew that on the other side, the message was _'Welcome to Ame: The Land of Rain.'_

Tobi and Naruto parked next to us and came to join us in the van.

I looked at the back to see Neji with his eyes closed (meditating maybe?), Shikamaru sleeping, Gaara taking out his iPod, Sasuke looking out of the window, Naruto and Tobi playing rock paper scissors and Kiba playing Angry Birds on his phone. Boys will be boys. Hana was reading a text book next to me; being as nerdy as always.

Soon a cab stopped next to us. A woman stepped out and paid the cab driver. The cab drove away and the woman started to walk towards us; it was Kiba's mom.

Tsume had spiky brown hair that was cut messily and boyishly. She had the same eyes as Kiba's; black in color with silted pupils. She also had red triangles drawn on her cheeks and had also applied some purple lipstick. She was wearing a black motorcycle jacket over a brown t-shirt and faded jeans with combat boots.

Hana and I stepped out of the van and went to greet Tsume. She gave us a toothy grin, "There are my girls!"

Hana and I tackled Tsume with a hug while Kiba gingerly got out of the van. Tsume looked at me up and down, "Whoa, Konan you've grown to be a real woman!"

She then looked at Hana and sighed, "Hana, your chest is still as flat as a board."

Hana blushed, "MOM!" I couldn't control my laughter; I was so teasing her later.

Kiba laughed nervously, "Hey mom."

Tsume narrowed her eyes at her son, "And why didn't you call me?"

"I didn't want to disturb you on your day off." Kiba mumbled.

Tsume rolled her eyes, "You chickened out."

She stepped into the van's driver's seat and looked at the boys, "Your folks are pretty ticked off and I'm sure you guys are grounded for a month." The boys groaned silently.

"Oh yeah," said Kiba. He picked up the underwear. "Mom, this isn't your right? It's definitely not ours!"

Tsume saw it and groaned. She took it from him and threw it in the back. She then grabbed her phone and dialed a number.

"GENMA, I TOLD YOU NOT TO GET KINKY IN MY VAN!" Tsume yelled. Whoever answered must have been scared out of his skin.

Tsume listened to the other end of the phone and then yelled again, "YEAH WELL YOUR GIRLFRIEND'S UNDERWEAR IS HERE!"

Tsume listened again and then she snapped, "THE MOMENT WAS RIGHT? WHAT ARE YOU? GAY? YOU ARE SO DEAD!" With that she snapped the phone shut. There was an awkward silence.

"Well," said Hana. "It was nice seeing you mom, guys, but we gotta go."

Tsume hugged us, "Be good, okay?"

"Always." Hana said with a smile.

Kiba and I hugged and Hana ruffled his hair. Hana glared at him, "No more joyrides with the van. It's family."

Kiba sighed, "Fine."

I poked Sasuke's forehead through the window. He glared at me, "What was that for?"

I laughed, "Nothing! You're cute; man, I wish you were _my_ brother!" Sasuke turned away stubbornly.

"See ya!" I yelled as I ran towards Deidara's car, where Hana and Tobi were waiting.

Hana was driving so it wasn't wild. We listened to Metallica on the way back. The college wasn't so quiet anymore when we got back. Tobi went back to the dorm to face his punishment. We went with him since it was our fault.

Deidara was sitting on one of the benches with Itachi and glared at us, "Took you long enough."

"Yeah," I started to say. "Listen, it's our fault Tobi had to use your car so don't blame the kid."

Hana nodded, "All our fault."

Itachi smiled softly, 'Mine too; I told them to find you."

Deidara was out numbered. He sighed, "Don't do it again, un."

Tobi hugged him like crazy, "THANK YOU, SENPAI!"

Deidara was twitching while Tobi danced around. It surely was something to see. Then, I remembered something Tsume said. I looked at Hana, "Hana the ply board!"

Hana understood and blushed as she chased me around the bench. What a crazy day it was . . . and I didn't finish my lyrics. Oh well; I'll think of something in time. Right now, I was having way too much fun.

**Me: What do you think?**

**Sasori: Please leave a feedback.**

**Me and Sasori: Review! ^_^ **


	8. Chapter 8

**Me: Yo! Sasori is busy with the next chapter (gathering info) so helping me out will be none other than Tobi!**

**Tobi: Tobi's a good boy! **

**Me: This time, I added SasoHana and ItaHana and a hint of DeiKonan. And of course, I put in a PeinKonan scene as well :D**

**Tobi: Enjoy! ^_^**

**CHAPTER 8**

I couldn't help it; I let out a really loud scream!

Hana jolted up and looked at me with a worried and slightly frightened expression which soon turned into an annoyed one.

I could hear the other girls from outside grumble and yell at me to stay quiet; after all, it was four in the morning and really early.

Hana rubbed her eyes, "What is it, Konan-chan? Why are you screaming?"

"I finished my lyric!" I announced as I happily held up my lyric journal. I stayed up all night writing my lyric and I was finally done. Now all I had to do was get ready for tomorrow and I was all set.

Hana grinned awkwardly, "That's why huh? Congrats Konan-chan; now you should practice."

I nodded, "I'm heading for the music room right now; I can't just rap, I have to make music too." I headed for the bathroom and washed up. Hana wanted to come with me too so she went into the bathroom after I was done.

I put on a lime green t-shirt and dark green baggy pants with black converse. I put my hair in its usual style with my origami in place and wore a black stud that had a picture of a smiley.

Hana wore a red long-sleeved shirt and white pants with white flats. She tied her hair in a loose ponytail and pushed her glasses up. She smiled at me, "Let's go!"

We didn't have classes for the whole day because of the program the next day so I wanted to get everything ready as soon as possible and help Hana with the other stuff when I was done.

As we approached the music room, I heard soft drum beats from inside. I'm pretty sure Hana heard it too. We looked inside to see Sasori on the drums. His eyes were closed so he didn't notice us. He was wearing a black hoodie with jeans and black Vans. His earphones, which were now a sleek black color, hung lazily around his neck.

He opened his brown eyes and looked at us lazily, "Hey guys, what brings you here?"

I held up my lyric journal, "Last minute practice. I need music for my song."

Sasori nodded, "I'll help. Just sing that for me and I'll hit ya with a beat. I am a DJ after all."

I grabbed a chair and sat down on it. I performed my song for him and as I did, I could see Hana smiling widely. Sasori smirked after I ended, "Not bad; actually, not bad at all. I know the perfect music that would suit your song. Does a mix of pop and techno with a bouncy beat sound good to you?"

"You're the DJ," I told him with a grin. "Thanks Sasori."

Sasori shrugged, "I got nothing to do anyways."

"Are the Akatsuki performing?" asked Hana.

Sasori sighed. To be honest, he looked sad as he shook his head, "We're done I guess. We're not performing. But we'll help out with the program though."

Hana sighed and nodded. I cleared my throat, "Sasori, if you don't mind, can we try it out now?"

"Sure." Sasori said as he stood up.

"I'll get us something to eat," said Hana. "Let's not work on an empty stomach."

"Thanks wifey!" Sasori called out as Hana left. I swear I saw Hana's ears turn a bright pink.

I chuckled and looked at Sasori, "Let's get to work."

We did, indeed, work really hard. Sasori made the music to my song so damn awesome. That's what you'd expect from a professional DJ. We had finished the music for the first verse by the time Hana came back with two cups of ramen. Sasori and I took a break and ate.

I looked at Hana, "Aren't you going to eat?"

Hana shook her head, "I'm fine, thanks."

"You're gonna be really busy today," said Sasori. He held some of his ramen in front of Hana's mouth. "Eat a bit, wifey."

Hana blushed, "No, its okay. You guys eat. I'm perfectly fine; I'll just eat a sandwich later."

Sasori kept holding the ramen in front of her. He pushed it a bit forward so that it was inches away from her lips, "Please?"

Hana looked at him and then hesitantly, she opened her mouth. Sasori grinned and fed her the ramen. The gesture was too sweet. God, I wish I had my camera.

Sasori fed Hana some more and after three spoons, Hana shook her head, "Thank you, Sasori-kun. I'm fine now."

"You sure?" asked Sasori.

"Positive." Hana said with a shy smile. They looked into each other's eyes and stared at each other. A hair fell into Hana's eyes and Sasori tucked it behind her ear. I guess they forgot I was there. I felt like I was in a romantic scene in a movie.

"Sasori, where-" said a voice. It was Itachi who was standing in the doorway. Hana and Sasori looked away blushing. Sasori cleared his throat while Hana played with her hair. I stifled my laughter by making hiccupping noises.

"Am I interrupting?" asked Itachi.

"No." Hana and Sasori said at the same time, making them blush again.

I snickered, "Itachi, let's just say your arrival made things a teeny bit awkward."

"I see," said Itachi. "Forgive me."

Hana shook her head, "It's okay Itachi-kun."

Itachi smiled at her, making her turn a deeper shade of red, and then looked at Sasori, "Sasori, I was wondering if you knew where my car keys were since you took it yesterday."

Sasori scratched his head, "Oh yeah. It's in my dorm. You can ask Pein; he knows where it is."

Itachi nodded and left. Sasori stood up and sighed, "Okay, let's try it out with the song now, shall we?"

I nodded. I bit back a chuckle as I remembered the incident between Sasori and Hana. Itachi coming in just made everything even more interesting.

We tried it out with my song and I have to admit, it sounded pretty darn good. No wait, scratch that; it sounded _awesome! _I practiced it two times and I felt confident enough.

I high fived Sasori, "Sasori, you're a life saver!"

Sasori simply chuckled, "No problem. Well, you just keep practicing. I'll catch you later, okay?" I nodded and thanked him again.

He looked at Hana, "Bye wifey." And with that, he left. Hana turned pink and I snickered.

I poked her shoulder, "So now you're Sasori's girl huh?" Hana blushed and stuck her tongue out at me.

Hana had to go because someone called her for help.

I stayed back and practiced once more. After I was satisfied, I left the music room. I was heading back to the dorm when I met Deidara on the way.

He smirked at me, "Hello."

I grinned back, "Hey. Helping out with the Child Labor program?"

He shook his head, "I'll help if I'm asked, un. Ame's always been like this; always in the mood for celebration, even if it's a small deal, un."

I laughed. What Deidara said was true. Ame, though it was always gloomy and rainy, was always ready to celebrate and party and have fun. I looked at the sky, "I hope it doesn't rain tomorrow."

Deidara scoffed, "Like a little rain would stop everyone from losing their enthusiasm to celebrate." Correct again.

After a brief silence, he spoke, "So you're performing, un."

I nodded, "Yeah. I'm nervous."

"You'll do great," he said as he patted my shoulder. "You have the potential, un." His words made me blush and I was pretty sure he noticed because he chuckled.

"It'll be nice if the Akatsuki could perform." I said softly. Deidara looked sad, just like Sasori. I guess even though the band had fallen apart, the members still had the love for music in them.

"Yeah," Deidara murmured. "But you know right? You know that the Akatsuki are no more, un."

"It'll be nice if you guys made a comeback; I would love to hear you guys sing." I said to him.

A faint smile played on his lips, "Yeah. That would be nice, un."

I sighed, "I have to go. I promised Hana I'll help her out."

Deidara nodded, "See ya."

I went to find Hana and found her outside with Tobi, putting up a big banner that said 'STOP CHILD LABOR!' over the college gates.

Tobi saw me and waved his free hand, "Hi, Konan-san!"

"Hey Tobi," I yelled back. I looked at them. "Need help with that?"

Hana looked down and me and smiled, "It's okay I got-"

The ladder she was standing on started to wobble and Hana lost balance. She screamed as she started to fall.

"HANA-CHAN!" Tobi yelled.

Suddenly a blur of black cushioned Hana's fall; it was Itachi. That was the bravest, yet stupidest thing I have ever witnessed in my life. Hana opened her eyes and gasped, "Itachi-kun!"

Itachi winced and looked at Hana, "Are you okay?"

"You're hurt!" Hana exclaimed.

"Are you okay?" Itachi repeated but this time it sounded more like a demand. Hana nodded shakily.

"Hana!" I said as I rushed over to the two of them. I looked at Itachi and gasped. "Itachi, you're hurt."

"It's nothing." He muttered.

"Nothing my foot," I said angrily. "Go to the infirmary."

"I'm fine." Itachi repeated.

Tobi came rushing, "Itachi-nii, Hana-chan, are you okay?"

"Yes." They both said at the same time.

Itachi looked at Hana, "You look pale."

Anko came rushing over, "What happened?"

"A little accident," said Itachi. He stood up and lifted Hana up with him. "We're okay now."

Anko nodded, "Go to the nurse. Shizune's not here but I'm sure someone is there."

Itachi shook his head, "I'm fine, Anko-san. I think Hana should be checked."

"No," Hana said stubbornly. "I'm not injured at all. Itachi-kun, you took up more damage than me. Let's go the infirmary. Please." Hana's voice was pleading. She looked really worried and sad.

Itachi sighed and nodded. He took her hand and led her inside. He limped slightly as he walked.

Hana looked at me, "Konan-chan, can you please take over for me?"

I grinned, "What are best friends for?"

Hana smiled back, "Thanks. Be careful."

I nodded and went to help Tobi out. I climbed up the ladder and help Tobi put up the banner. Once we were done, we stepped down to look at it.

"It's perfect!" I exclaimed with a grin.

Tobi nodded, "Tomorrow is going to be great! Konan-san is performing right?"

I scratched my cheek and smiled sheepishly, "Yeah, I am."

"Amazing!" Tobi said with excitement. He then sighed sadly and looked up to the sky. "If only Tobi could perform with his band too."

I looked at the guy. Looks like Deidara and Sasori weren't the only ones who want to be back on a stage and making sweet music.

"I hear you play the keyboard." I said to Tobi.

Tobi laughed happily, "Tobi loves to play the keyboard. Tobi learnt to play when he was five!" He held up five fingers and waved them.

I grinned, "That's great Tobi! Play a little number for me someday, okay?" Tobi clapped his hands and nodded happily.

I took over for Hana and did all the work, which she was assigned to do, for her. Tobi and I did most of the work so Anko let us off from the afternoon. I snickered as I heard Anko scold Fuyu and Aiko for slacking off.

The funny thing was that Aiko and Fuyu didn't bother us much. Sure, they took every opportunity to make fun of us or humiliate us but they didn't do it regularly like the used to. I couldn't help but feel suspicious.

I went back to the dorm and saw Hana there. She seemed to be lost in her own world. Her expression was a bit sad and thoughtful. I sat next to her and placed my hand on her forehead, "You okay?"

Hana smiled and nodded, "I am, thanks. Thank you for covering for me."

"Anytime babe," I told her. "So . . . how's Itachi?"

Hana sighed, "A sprain in his leg. Nothing major, thank God."

"He must care for you if he risked himself to save you." I said with a grin. But this time, Hana didn't blush. She looked guilty. She bit her bottom lip, "He was injured because of me; because of my clumsiness."

I patted her back, "Accidents happen, Hana. Tell you what; why don't you ask Itachi why he saved you?"

"I did." Hana replied softly.

"Well, what did he say?" I asked her.

Hana sighed, "He didn't say anything. He simply carried me here and left. Before he did, he . . . he kissed my forehead and told me to get well soon."

I shook my head, "Wow. He must like you, Hana! Awesome; Sasori likes you, Itachi likes you. Two hot guys crushing on you, babe." Hana blushed and shook her head, a small smile tugging her lips upward. Then, her expression changed back to guilty.

"I feel really guilty," Hana admitted. "I don't know what to do."

I put my hands on her shoulders, "Hey, he did it because he cares for you. Trust me; you're special to me and you must be special to Itachi too." Hana looked at me and smiled with a light blush adorning her cheeks.

"He seemed pretty sad that the Akatsuki wasn't performing." Hana said as she looked at the ceiling.

I sighed, "It's the same with Tobi, Sasori and Deidara as well. I wonder how Pein feels." For once, Hana didn't tease me.

I looked back at Hana, 'You should get some sleep. It's gonna be real busy tomorrow!" Hana smiled and nodded. She climbed into her bed and lay there quietly. Soon she was asleep.

I crept out of the room and pulled the door behind me. I wanted to go to the back of the college again. Outside, I met Itachi, who was sitting on a bench and playing guitar.

"Hey." I greeted. He nodded in greeting.

"You feel good?" I asked him.

He smiled, "Much better. Thank you."

I grinned, "You have Hana to thank for that."

"How is she?" he asked me.

I smiled, "You really care about her, don't' you?" Itachi was silent so I took that as a yes.

"Hana's fine," I told him. "She's sleeping."

Itachi let out a quiet sigh. He then went back to playing guitar. He then stopped and looked at me, "Good luck on tomorrow's concert, Konan. Blow the roof off."

I grinned, "Thanks Itachi. I wish the Akatsuki could perform."

Itachi sighed, "Yeah." Hana was right; even Itachi seemed sad about the Akatsuki not being able to perform.

I said goodbye and went to the back. Pein wasn't there so I snickered, "Hah! I'm here first."

"I wouldn't say that." said an oh so familiar voice. I looked up on the tree and sure enough, Pein, in all his glory, was sitting on one of the branches and leaning against the trunk.

"Well for your information," I said to him. "I'm not going anywhere."

"I know," he said coolly. "You're just too stubborn." I stuck my tongue out at him and then climbed up the tree. I finally reached him and sat next to him on the branch. I avoided looking into his eyes because I knew I would be captivated the minute I looked into them.

"You weight might snap the branch and kill us." Pein said monotonously, with a hint of humor lacing it.

"Yeah, well at least I'll die a legend." I said stubbornly.

"Legend?" he asked me.

"Yeah," I said with a grin. "For killing the oh so great Pein with my awesome weight!" Pein rolled his eyes.

After a brief silence, I looked at him and spoke, "Have you thought about performing at the concert tomorrow?"

"Yes." Pein replied.

"Well . . . what's your decision?" I asked.

He closed his eyes, "I said I thought about it. I didn't say I made a decision."

I pouted, "You don't have to rub it in my face!" I could see a faint smirk tugging his lips.

"I think you should do it, even if it's for one night," I told him. I felt his stare on me so I looked at the sky instead. It was now turning dark. "All the band members; Sasori, Deidara, Itachi and Tobi want to be out there performing. They can't do it without you. You should make a comeback or something."

"What about my opinion?" he asked.

Well someone's got a great deal of his on importance!

I looked at him and met those alluring eyes, "Well . . . what is your opinion? Don't you want to be out there performing again?"

Pein kept looking at me and then he looked away. I was glad because I couldn't stop staring and that would have made the situation awkward. However, I felt a little . . . disappointed too.

He jumped down (gracefully) and looked back up at me, "I still need to think about it."

"Well think fast!" I yelled. "The concert is tomorrow."

"You're very impatient, I'll remember that." Pein said with a smirk. He left after saying that and I watched him leave. Once he was gone, I slowly, climbed down the tree. I didn't want to fall on my butt again.

Once I reached the ground, I walked back to the dorm. I wonder what Pein would decide to do. Oh well, I'll just have to wait and see.

**Me: What do you think?**

**Tobi: Tobi would like the readers to leave a feedback.**

**Me and Tobi: Please review! ^_^**


	9. Chapter 9

**Me: Yo! School has begun (Goodbye summer ) so that explains the late update, sorry y'all!**

**Tobi: Tobi has been a good boy all summer! ^_^**

**Me: Yes you have! Sasori is still not with us but he'll be in the fanfic more and more (SasoHana ya' know!)**

**Tobi: Enjoy the chapter!**

**CHAPTER 9**

A whole essay of bad words was rushing automatically out of my mouth in the morning; today is the big day and I overslept!

I rushed to the bathroom (cursing) and washed up as quickly as possible. Then I rushed back to the room (cursing obviously) and put on a grey cardigan over a plain white t-shirt and baggy jeans with black white converse. My hair was in its usual ponytail and I wore a black stud.

In the morning, people were going to visit our school and look at the works which we have put up. The main program of the morning was the debate from the business department and then there was going to be lunch. Right after that, the concert was going to take place.

As I rushed to the compound, I could hear people clapping and cheering; damn it, the debate had already begun!

I wonder why Hana didn't wake me up. But then again, she was one of the main hosts of the whole program so I really can't blame her.

I quietly sat down in one of the empty chairs. No one really noticed me and I was glad because I didn't make things awkward. And guess who I sat next to?

"You're late." Pein muttered.

I rolled my eyes, "I was . . . busy."

"You overslept." He accused. I groaned silently and stuck my tongue out at him.

"The participants will be taking 10 minutes to prepare their rebuttal points. Until then, please stay seated quietly. Those who have to go to the bathroom may leave but please do it in an orderly and disciplined manner; do not rush." The host announced.

Fantastic; the debate had begun alright, but now it was about to end. It was already time for the rebuttal!

The students immediately started to whisper and chat among themselves; so much for being seated quietly. A few went out of the compound, probably to the bathroom or to loiter around. I looked at the debaters and noticed that each team consisted of four members; two girls and two boys.

I looked at the participants and saw that Itachi was one of them. He was wearing a black shirt and black pants with black converse. His hair was in a loose ponytail as always and with his calm and serious expression, he looked like a powerful businessman already! Our eyes met so he gave me a small smile before going back to discussing with his teammates.

The two females in his team glared at me and I glared back. Then they went back to fawning over Itachi. He was murmuring and writing down some points while his (female) teammates blushed and stared at him. The other boy in the team was the only one who seemed to be him.

One of the girls had auburn hair and green eyes and she was wearing a white blouse which was kinda transparent so that it showed the outline of her black lacy bra (Slut alert!) and a short brown skirt with shiny black stilettos. She stared dreamily at Itachi and nodded dumbly as he spoke; I doubt she was paying attention to what Itachi was really trying to say.

The other girl had brown eyes and black hair which was highlighted red on the tips and was wearing a dark blue blouse which had the top buttons open giving a view of her cleavage (Slut alert!) with a short black skirt and strappy black heels. She wasn't doing anything. She was simply staring at Itachi and smiling; just like the other one.

The boy had a somewhat bluish skin and spiky dark blue hair. His black eyes were focused on the paper, where he had written his notes and he was nodding as he listened to Itachi. He was wearing a white shirt and black pants with black Vans. I'm pretty sure Itachi is grateful that at least one person is being serious with the debate.

I looked at the debate topic that was hung behind the participants.

It said 'Economic Development is the main cause of Child Labor.' Well I didn't know if I would go for the motion or against but I could see Itachi in the team that was for the motion.

Suddenly, my stomach started to growl. Luckily no one heard.

"Looks like you forgot something." Pein said with a smirk. God; I am so tired of being wrong all the time!

I blushed and looked away, "Shut up."

He sighed as he stood up and he did something I did not expect; he grabbed my wrist

"What-" I never got to finish my sentence because Pein started to drag me away. I struggled but he didn't let go. Some people stared at us as we left. Fan girls glared daggers; especially Fuyu. Pein dragged me away from the compound and into the cafeteria.

Pein stopped in front of the counter. I rubbed my wrists, "Geez, you don't even listen to other people's opinion, do you?"

"Eat." He said . . . more like ordered.

I was in no mood to argue since I was really hungry. I asked the lady at the counter for a tuna sandwich, an orange juice carton and an apple. She gave Pein and me a weird look and shrugged. She gave me my meal and I thanked her.

I sat down at one of the tables and Pein took a seat opposite to me. I raised an eyebrow, "I thought I annoyed you. Why'd you bring me here?"

Pein shrugged, "If you sat next to me with an empty stomach, your tummy demands would have been noisy, thus making you more annoying."

I rolled my eyes, "Nice theory, Einstein."

Then I realized something.

I snickered. Pein looked at me and raised an eyebrow, "What's wrong?"

"You said 'tummy,'" I said in between chuckles. "And I thought you were always stiff and stern; even when it comes to words."

Pein smirked and looked at me with an amused expression, "And I thought you'd be up early since today's the concert."

I stuck my tongue out at him and started to munch on my sandwich. I looked at him, "So is the Akatsuki performing or not?"

Pein sighed, "I haven't thought of it."

I almost choked on my sandwich. I gulped down some juice and looked at Pein with an 'Are-you-kidding-me?' look, "Seriously? The concert is today!"

"I know." Pein replied bluntly. I sweat dropped; this guy is really weird.

"If you decide to perform," I started to say. "How are you going to ready a number in time for the concert?"  
Pein smirked, "You'll be surprised at how fast we Akatsuki are; it's one of our many talents. But as I said earlier, I haven't made up my mind yet."

"Well, Mr. Leader, make up your mind quickly," I told him. "Don't waste time; time is precious."

He scoffed, "Never knew that you were a philosopher."

I punched his arm and grinned, "Well, I'm pretty sure I'm better at giving out philosophies than you!"

Pein sighed and looked at his watch, "We should go back."

I nodded and dumped the sandwich plastic and juice carton in the bin on my way out. I munched on my apple as I walked and Pein silently walked ahead with his hands in his pockets.

"I met your brother," "I told him. "How come he isn't moody like you?"

"You think I'm moody?" asked Pein.

"No, I think you are pretty," I said sarcastically. "Of course, you're moody!"

Pein sighed, "Well . . . let's just say Naruto took after mom."

"So . . . your dad is moody?" I asked him.

Pein shook his head. Well this conversation is getting us nowhere. We walked in silence; the only sound heard was my teeth that were biting the apple.

We sat down in our seats; we were just in time for the rebuttal. Each participant had five minutes to speak and Itachi was up first. His voice was calm, cool and collected and his points were pretty convincing and very good. He gave a damn fine speech; with his calm and collected voice and his solid points, I couldn't help but admire his talent.

Everyone clapped as Itachi bowed. Akiko and other Itachi fan girls screamed and squealed; some even fainted! Sheesh, how obsessed can you get over _one _guy?! I was glad Hana wasn't like that.

The opposing team also put up a strong rebuttal and it was hard to tell who was going to win. The judges took five minutes to ready the results and the participants went to sit among the audience.

Itachi saw me and smiled at me so I gave him two thumbs up. He nodded in thanks and sat in the front row with the other participants.

"Is Itachi single?" I whispered to Pein. I hope he wasn't cheating some girl for Hana; that would lead to the heartbreak of two innocent girls.

Pein looked at me, amused, "You're interested in him?"

I shook my head, "No! It's just . . . I'm just curious."

Pein was silent and I though he wasn't going to answer me but finally, he spoke, "He's single; he has been for a long time. In high school, he simply fooled around with girls. All of us did. But now he's . . . how shall I put this? He's looking for 'the one.'" Pein quoted with his fingers.

I nodded. I registered his words through my mind and then something clicked in my mind.

"You said all of you," I said to him. "Does that mean you fooled with girls too?"

Pein smirked, "You jealous?"

I blushed a bit, "N-no! Just curious."

Pein sighed and nodded, "We just fooled around with a couple of girls; dated them for about a week and then dump them."

I snickered, "You don't seem like the type to mingle with people."

"I'm not," said Pein. He sighed. "But then again, you only live once."

"What about the other guys?" I asked.

"Deidara and Sasori were the flirtiest; they were two timers," Pein said with a smirk. "Itachi and I did it because we were bored."

"I can believe that," I agreed with him. "What about Tobi?"

"He had a girl once," said Pein. "Let's just say fate didn't want them to be together."

"What happened?" I asked. Pein simply shook his head; the story was off limits.

"So does that mean you're looking for 'the one' too?" I asked. I couldn't imagine Pein all dreamy and girly looking for his true love. I'd die if I saw that happen; probably of laughter.

"I don't believe in that," said Pein. "I'm not dating or hooking up with anyone nor am I looking for the right girl."

"You're gonna die single if you keep thinking that!" I exclaimed. Pein sighed and then smirked.

The judges were ready with the results and guess who won. That's right; Itachi's team! The judges gave out certificates to the participants. The teams shook hands which each other. The two girls on Itachi's team hugged him in congratulations but they were too close for comfort. Itachi, being the sweet guy he is, simply smiled and patted their backs. The boy on Itachi's team laughed at Itachi and shook hands with him.

Sasori and Deidara came over to us. Sasori smirked at us, "You two seem to be getting closer by the second."

"Shut up." Pein muttered. I looked away trying to hide my blush. Was it just me or did Deidara stiffen a bit?

Itachi came over to them. I grinned at him, "Congratulations man! You totally nailed it!"

Itachi smiled, "Thank you, Konan. It wasn't just me; it was my teammates as well."

Sasori smirked, "Well I think your female teammates were trying to get a little close." Itachi simply sighed.

"Have you guys seen Hana?" I asked. "She wasn't there when I woke up this morning."

"Probably left because you sleep like a pig." Pein muttered. I punched his arm.

Everyone stared at us. I tilted my head, "What?"

"This is the first time I'm seeing a woman hit Pein, besides his mom." Sasori said with a grin.

Pein glared at Sasori causing him to chuckle. I couldn't help but snicker as well, "You a momma's boy?"

"Hn." Pein muttered.

"Sheesh, you're just like Sasuke." I told him. Itachi let out a chuckle.

"So have you seen Hana?" I asked again.

"Not really," said Deidara. "Tobi was gone by the time I woke up as well, un."

"They must be real busy," said Sasori. "The medical department is hosting the whole program after all."

The boy on Itachi's team came over chuckling, "Hey Itachi, better hide; your worshipers are looking for ya!"

Itachi sighed, "Wonderful."

The boy looked at me, "I've seen you around but we haven't officially met. I'm Hoshigaki Kisame." He held out his hand.

"Konan," I said as I shook his hand. "Nice to meet ya."

"Well now you seem pretty close with the guys and you're not annoying so I like you." Kisame said with a toothy grin, showing off with pointy, shark-like teeth.

"I get that a lot." I told him with a grin of my own.

A blur of orange and black and a hint of white and red tackled Itachi with a bear hug; it was Tobi. He pulled away and started to jump up and down, "Congratulations, Itachi-nii!"

Itachi chuckled, "Thank you, Tobi." Tobi was wearing his usual orange mask and today, he was wearing something formal; a black suit with a white dress shirt and red bow tie.

"Hey Tobi, have you seen Hana?" I asked him.

Tobi scratched his head, "The last I saw her, she was running."

"Running?" said Sasori. "From what?"

"Tobi gave Hana-chan a makeover," he explained. "She looks really pretty now! She said she was running from . . . uh . . . 'creepy, hormone crazed barbarians who tries to shove their numbers down her shirt.' That's what she told me."

"What?" Sasori and Itachi said at the same time; boy, they sounded kinda angry. It amused me that the two were getting so hyped up about Hana. They looked at each other briefly and looked away awkwardly. Deidara and Pein smirked while Kisame and I snickered.

"Did I miss anything?" Kisame asked sneakily.

"A lot," I told him. "I'll update you later." Kisame grinned and nodded.

"Tobi and Hana-chan saw you guys in the cafeteria," Tobi said to me and Pein. "Tobi wanted to say hi but Hana-chan said 'do not disturb them' and started to giggle. Then she said 'Kya!' and ran off." I blushed a bit while Pein smirked at my reaction.

"Wow Tobi," said Kisame. "Your memory is really good." Tobi held up two fingers as a peace sign.

"Kya!" A voice exclaimed behind us. We all turned and saw Hana. Boy, did she look different!

Hana was wearing a black dress, which was slightly v-necked and ended two inches below her knees, with black stilettos. There was a red sash around the waist and the dress hugged her curves perfectly to show off her womanly figure. She didn't wear her glasses nor did she wear her hair in a ponytail. Instead, her hair was down and slightly curled. She didn't have her clan's symbol on her cheeks; instead, she had a necklace with the Inuzuka symbol hanging from the pendant. All in all; Hana was hot!

She was carrying a small plastic bag and was rubbing her neck, "Stupid tree."

"Hana-chan!" Tobi exclaimed happily.

Hana turned around and met our gazes; she turned the color of fresh tomatoes. She grinned nervously, "H-hey guys."

"Tobi you are fabulous when it comes to makeovers." I told the kid.

Tobi slung an arm around Hana, "This is Tobi's form of art!" Deidara chuckled softly.

"Who are you and what did you do with Hana?!" I exclaimed.

Hana rolled her eyes, "I _am _Hana. Is it hard to believe?"

"Yes," I said as a matter-of-factly. "You're hot! The Hana I knew was nerdy with thick sweaters and ugly glasses." Hana blushed and stuck her tongue out at me.

"Since when do you have a dress like that?" I asked her.

"I always had it," Hana mumbled. "I just didn't wear it."

"Wifey," Sasori said slowly. "You look . . . different. You look really pretty!" Hana blushed even more and murmured a shy 'thank you' to Sasori.

Itachi smiled, "You look beautiful." Hana looked like she was going to faint but luckily, she didn't.

"Thank you," she said with a shy smile. She gasped and reached into her plastic bag. She pulled out a bouquet of yellow daffodils and held it up shyly to Itachi. "C-congratulations on winning the debate."

Itachi looked at her, "And how did you know I love yellow daffodils?"

Hana blushed, "I don't! I just . . . I didn't know what you like so I brought what I liked."

Itachi smiled, "Thank you very much." He took the bouquet from her and kissed her hand, making her blush like crazy.

You think I'm an idiot? No way am I gonna let blackmail slip pass me. I pulled out my phone and snapped a picture. At the same time, so did Kisame. We looked at each other and understood the message; 'I love making fun of Hana/Itachi.' We started to laugh and slap high-fives.

Hana blushed while Itachi sighed. So some reason, Sasori was very quiet which is pretty unusual. I looked at him and he was in his own world with his dark green headphones on his head with music blaring out. I knew it; he's jealous.

I snickered to myself; this is so awesome.

"You seem happy, un," Deidara muttered. I looked at him and grinned. He gave me a smirk and sighed. "Well Sharpie, I wish you luck for the concert, un."

"The concert!" I exclaimed Oh man; I forgot I had to get ready and do a bit of practicing as well. "I gotta go. Thanks for reminding, Deidei. Bye guys!"

I started to run. I looked at Pein over my shoulder and yelled, "Make up your mind, fast!" And with that I ran for the dorm.

**Me: Good? Bad? Horrible? Fantastic (yeah right!)?**

**Tobi: Leave a review and Tobi will give you a cookie! –Holds out a plate of cookies-**

**Me: -takes a cookie and grins- What he said.**

**Me and Tobi: Read and review! ^_^**


	10. Chapter 10

**Me: Well here's an early update!**

**Tobi: Tobi and Psy-chan are being good people!**

**Me: Yes we are! I edited the lyrics so it's partly mine.**

**Tobi: Enjoy the chapter!**

**CHAPTER 10**

Well, this was it. The concert was about to begin and each of the performers got one room each for practicing and dressing up.

I looked at myself in the mirror; I put on a black rolling stones tank top and black skinny jeans, which had chains dangling from the side, with black-and-white DCs. My hair was in a spiky ponytail instead of my normal hairstyle but my origami was in hair and I put on a black rolling stones stud to match my tank top.

Tobi was in the dressing room with me and he just finished applying some eyeliner and a light lip gloss for me. I grinned, "Thanks Tobi."

"You're welcome!" Tobi exclaimed happily. He then wished me good luck and ran out the door.

Deidara came in shortly and smirked, "Well don't you look different."

I stuck my tongue out at him, "I look flashy. I hate flashy."

"You're going on the stage to knock them out with music, not with beauty," said Deidara. "But you still look good to me."

I blushed, "Thank you."

Deidara smirked and moved closer to me. I simply stood there as he leaned down. His face was inches away from mine and I could feel my heart beat getting faster; this was the second time he was surprising me with his gestures.

His lips were inches away from mine. I felt his hands placing something on the side of my hair. He pulled away and made me turn towards the mirror. He had placed a shiny silver star-shaped clip in my hair. I blushed furiously and looked at him, "W-what's that for?"

"Good luck," Deidara replied. "I know you'll do great, Konan."

"That's the first time you called me by my name and not 'Sharpie.'" I told him playfully, trying to lighten up the atmosphere. I was currently surprising the blush that was daring to creep up onto my cheeks when Deidara smirked.

He started to leave. That's when I remembered . . .

"Wait," I called out. Deidara stopped at the door. "Did . . . Pein say anything to you?"

Deidara stiffened a bit, "No he didn't." And with that, he left. I couldn't help but think that Deidara's voice sounded a bit cold when he answered my question.

Hana poked her head in and smiled at me, "You look fabulous!"

"Oh quit it, you're making me blush!" I told her with a grin.

Hana hugged me, "Good luck, Konan-chan."

I hugged back, "Thank you. I'll need it. What if I choke on my own spit or something?"

"Saliva," Hana corrected with a laugh. "But that won't happen. You'll do amazingly, trust me."

"You know just what to say." I told her with a smile. She smiled back and sighed,

"The concert is about to begin. You are the last item of the evening. So you have plenty of time to practice."

"Thanks Hana." I told her. She nodded and left the room. I practiced a bit with the music that was recorded in my phone. My voice was in good condition and my outfit looked okay. My throat felt dry so I drank some water.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in." I called out. Tobi came into the room holding something behind his back.

"Konan-san," said Tobi. "Tobi is sorry to disturb but Pein-san sent you something."

He held out a daisy which had a small card attached to its stem.

"Thanks Tobi." I told him. Tobi nodded. He gave a salute and ran out the door once more; that kid sure had stamina.

I opened the card and inside, the words were written with elegant hand writing.

'_If you aren't confident with yourself, by picking the petals off this daisy, you can decide whether you will do well tonight or not._

_P.S: I have made up my mind.'_

That's what it read. He had made up his mind? Well, I guess I'll be finding out what his decision is at the concert. I really hope they perform; the guys look like they really want to make a comeback. _Hopefully, _Pein will do what is best for his comrades.

I looked at the daisy and started to pick the petals off, "I'll do well, I won't do well, I'll do well, I won't do well . . ."

I said those words as I plucked off the petals. My heart sank when the last petal ended on 'I won't do well.' Hey wait a minute! Why am I getting so worked up over a flower?! It doesn't matter; as long as I have faith and confidence in myself, I know I'll do awesome!

And then it hit me; this was Pein's idea all along.

He knew that it would end with 'I won't do well,' and that I would immediately realize that it wasn't the flower, but me who has to decide whether I'd do well or not. The guy was, dare I say it, a genius.

The people started to cheer as someone, probably the MC, said something into the mic. I sighed; it was show time.

I closed my eyes and smiled.

'_Thank you, Pein.' _I thought to myself.

I walked through the compound and to the auditorium. Everyone was dancing and bobbing their heads to the music. The first performer was, believe it or not, Akiko who had a pretty good voice. I might have liked her if she wasn't a slut who was mean to Hana.

She was singing a song, something dirty and there was a guy with her on stage. She was wearing a shiny black midriff top that was way too tight and a (really, really, super duper, extra) short jean mini skirt with strappy high heels. The guy had brown hair and green eyes and was wearing a black shirt and black jeans with converse. The smoky effects made them look mysterious yet naughty. The two were singing and doing a bit of dirty dancing; EW!

_**Take a dirty picture for me, take a dirty picture!  
Take a dirty picture for me, take a dirty picture!  
Send the dirty picture to me, send the dirty picture!  
Just send the dirty picture to me, send the dirty picture!**_

Don't look at me! That's what the lyrics were saying. The crowd seemed to like the song since they were dancing and singing along with the two. The song was good but the lyrics were just creepy.

_**Click, click, snap!**_

They ended the song and the crowd erupted into cheers. I made my way backstage where all the other bands and singers were at. Everyone was there chatting among themselves, reapplying makeup and practicing; no one noticed me coming. That's good; I don't want people staring at me.

There was a big flat screen in the room that showed who was performing. Right now, two guys were taking the stage. One had silver hair that was gelled back carefully and he had the most unusual magenta colored eyes. He was shirtless and was wearing a chain with a circle pendant, which had a triangle in between, and grey skinny jeans with black Vans.

The other boy had long black hair that was down. Only his jade eyes were shown as his face was covered with a mask. He was wearing a leather jacket, white t-shirt and jeans with white Vans.

Both were wearing punkish makeup and the silver-haired guy had scars drawn over his body. The other guy had 'blood stains' and tiny scars drawn over his face and hands.

From the whispering fan girls next to me, I learnt that their names were Hidan and Kakuzu and the duo was known as the 'Zombie Brothers.' They were really good; their song was pop with a club beat and it was just plain awesome. There were fiery effects around them making them look like they were singing in between a ring of fire.

_**You cast a spell on me, spell on me.  
You hit me like the sky fell on me, fell on me.  
And I decided you look well on me, well on me.  
So let's go somewhere no one else can see, you and me.  
Turn the lights out now!**_

I quietly took a seat in the corner which happened to be near the window. I sighed and looked out the window. I was nervous, yes but I had a really good feeling that I was going to do well. I saw a white dove fly by the window; I'm taking that as a good omen.

"Hey freak, you're not supposed to be here!" a shrill voice exclaimed. Oh no; don't tell me that's-

Yup it was Fuyu alright, in all her slutty glory. She was wearing a really short golden tube top dress that showed off her body; literally! She wore silver hoop earrings and golden strappy heels.

"This is a place for stars like me," she sneered. "Get lost; freaks aren't allowed here."

I glared at her, "This is the performers' room and not your domain."

"Well you can't perform so you might go wanna go back." She said with a sick smile.

"Speak for yourself." I muttered as I stood and brushed pass her. I headed for the bathroom; I needed a minute to myself.

I washed my hands and looked in the mirror. My hair and outfit was in place. I looked okay but still I couldn't help but feel nervous. The bathroom door opened to reveal Akiko and Fuyu who gave me dirty smirks.

"What do you want?" I muttered.

"We think you and your nerdy buddy are a little too close to our men." Akiko said with a glare.

"Your men?" I said with an amused tone.

"Itachi and Pein of course!" Fuyu exclaimed.

I couldn't help it; I burst out laughing. They glared at me even harder but I couldn't suppress my laughter.

I wiped the tears from my eyes, "Come on! They aren't interested in you and Akiko; you were on stage sexy dancing with another guy right now. Give it up. Besides, we're not like that. We're just friends."

"We don't want you to have any sort of relationship with them," Akiko hissed. "That nerdy bitch even flirts with Sasori!"

"Hana isn't a bitch," I told them with a glare. "And she hadn't done anything to Sasori; heck she doesn't flirt!"

"What about you freak?" Fuyu said as she grabbed the front of my tank top. "You are flirting with Pein and Deidara as well!"

I groaned, "God, Pein and I aren't even acquaintances and Deidara is just a really nice friend. Why don't you try befriending them instead of fan girling them?! They might like you if you get rid of your slutty attitude!"

"Whatever." Akiko yelled. She looked at Fuyu and she let go of my tank top.

"Last warning freak," Fuyu sneered. "Stay away from the Akatsuki or we will make sure you and that nerd wish you were never born." The two of them flicked their hair and stormed out of the bathroom.

I rolled my eyes, "I wish you luck on that."

I stepped out and went back to my seat. Right now, it was Fuyu's turn and I watched on the flat screen as she took the stage. Her voice was good but her attitude stank, that's for sure. The smoke screen and laser light effects made her body look electronic and the song was fit for a club.

_**I've been everywhere man,  
looking for someone.  
Someone who can please me,  
Love me all night long.  
I've been everywhere man,  
Looking for you babe,  
Looking for you babe,  
Searching for you babe.**_

I noticed something else; Sasori was the DJ for the show. He really is talented and famous. I have to admit, the music and the beat were awesome and the crowd cheered his name as well. I gotta give him credit.

"Konan?" a voice said to me.

I turned to look at who was calling me and saw Kisame grinning at me. He was wearing a black t-shirt and jeans with white sneakers.

I grinned at him, "Hey Kisame. You're performing too?"

"No," said Kisame. "I came to talk to you."

"Okay," I said. "What do you wanna talk about?"

"Well each performer is allowed to pick a special effect for their performance," he explained. "Since you're the only one who hasn't picked an effect, I thought I'd make sure you're sure about that."

"No one told me anything about effects." I said with a blush.

Kisame laughed, "I see. Well then, you're not late to pick one. What will it be? Laser lights? Smoke screens?"

I suddenly got an idea, "Got any fireworks?"

Kisame raised an eyebrow, "Ame is a real cloudy place. I don't think fireworks are a good idea."

"But you have them, don't you?" I asked him. Kisame nodded in response.

"I'd like fireworks, please," I told him. "Trust me, it'll work."

Kisame looked at me for a long time and grinned, "Okay then."

"Thanks!" I said cheerfully. Kisame started to leave. Oh yeah; step one of my plan: complete. Now it's time for step two.

"Kisame," I called out. He was at the door so he stopped and looked at me. "Don't tell anyone about the fireworks okay? Let it be like a surprise."

Kisame nodded, "Whatever you say."

"And tell Deidara to be there during my performance at all costs!" I instructed him. Kisame looked at me suspiciously. I blushed red. "Just do it, please?"

Kisame chuckled, "Okay, okay. See ya."

Now all I have to do is wait and hope it turns out well.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Okay, okay; I'll be fine! Get a grip Konan! Well my turn is coming up next so I'm super excited but super nervous at the same time. Hey, I need to have a bit more faith and confidence in myself. Yeah.

"Konan-san," a boy said as he poked his head into the room. "It's your turn."

I took a deep breath and headed for the stage. I met Kisame backstage. He was dealing with a couple of fireworks and when he saw me, he grinned at me, "Good luck K! You'll do awesome!"

I nodded in thanks, "It's now or never. You got those fireworks ready?"

He nodded, "Yup! Now I just need to find those matches."

I laughed, "I'll leave that to you."

"And now," the MC yelled. "We have hard core lady power. We have a girl performing a rap for us so let's make some noise for KONAN!"

The crowd went wild; that was a good confidence builder. I saw Sasori wink at me and soon the music started to play. That's my cue to sing.

_**Let's go to the beach, each,  
let's go get away.  
They say, what they gonna say?  
Have a drink, clink,  
found the bud light.  
Bad chicks like me,  
it's hard to come by.**_

The crowd seemed to like it; they were bobbing their heads and moving along with the beat so I kept on singing.

_**The patron, on  
let's go get it on.  
The zone, own,  
Yes, I'm in the zone.  
Is it two, three?  
Leave a good tip.  
Imma blow all my money,  
And don't give two shits.**_

_**I'm on the floor, floor,  
I love to dance.  
So give me more, more,  
till I can't stand.  
Get on the floor, floor,  
like it's your last chance.  
If you want more, more,  
then, here I am.**_

I loved the chorus so I could help but smile as I sang it.

_**Starships, were meant to fly!  
Hands up, and touch the sky.  
Can't stop, 'cause we're so high!  
Let's do this one more time.  
Starships, were meant to fly!  
Hands up, and touch the sky.  
Let's do this one last time!  
Can't stop,**_

_**We're higher than a mo . . . what?  
We're higher than a mo . . . what?  
We're higher than a mo . . . what?**_

_**Jump through my hoop de hoop de hoop de hoop,  
I own that.  
And I ain't paying my rent this month,  
I owe that.  
But do what you want and  
Do what you like.  
Dance all night,  
There's no end in sight.  
Twinkle, twinkle little star.**_

Hey; so what if I added a little humor to the song. But what happened to my fireworks?

_**Now, everybody let me hear you say ray, ray, ray,  
Go spend all your money 'cause it ain't payday.  
And if you a G, you a G, G, G,  
My name is Konan, you can call me Sharpie!**_

I saw Deidara in the crowd and he smirked at me when he heard the lyrics. Speaking of Deidara, where are the fireworks?

_**Get on the floor, floor,  
like it's your last chance.  
If you want more, more,  
then, here I am.**_

_**Starships, were meant to fly!  
Hands up, and touch the sky.  
Can't stop, 'cause we're so high!  
Let's do this one more time.  
Starships, were meant to fly!  
Hands up, and touch the sky.  
Let's do this one last time!  
Can't stop,**_

_**We're higher than a mo . . . what?  
We're higher than a mo . . . what?  
We're higher than a mo . . . what?**_

The beat had slowed down a bit and the tune was slower now. I looked at Kisame as I sang.

_**Starships, were meant to fly,  
Hands up, and touch the sky. **_

I almost fell when I saw that he was struggling with the matches. Judging by the burnt match sticks on the table next to him, he had been trying for a long time. He looked at me after he (finally) lit the end of the fireworks and grinned at me. I closed my eyes and smiled.

_**Can't stop, 'cause we're so high,  
let's do this one more time.**_

I raised my hand in the air and at that very moment, the fireworks went up as well; perfect timing.

_**Starships, were meant to fly!  
Hands up, and touch the sky.  
Can't stop, 'cause we're so high!  
Let's do this one more time.**_

The crowd cheered loudly as the fireworks exploded. I saw Deidara's expression; it was completely baffled and amazed. He then met my gaze and smiled, not smirked, but smiled brightly at me. I smiled back at him; for once, I didn't blush.

_**Starships, were meant to fly!  
Hands up, and touch the sky.  
Let's do this one last time!  
Can't stop,**_

_**We're higher than a mo . . . what?**_

The crowd cheered my name, "KONAN! KONAN! KONAN!"

_**We're higher than a mo . . . what?  
We're higher than a mo . . . what?**_

I ended my song and the crowd broke into really loud cheers and whistles. I could help but feel over whelmed. I bowed my head.

"Thank you." I said into the mic.

As I left the stage, I felt awesome. I saw Sasori giving me a grin and mouthing the words 'Great job.' I nodded in thanks and gave a grin of my own. Kisame high-fived me, "That was so awesome! Sorry for the late fireworks."

I shook my head, "No worries, man. Your timing was perfect!"

Kisame chuckled and sheepishly scratched his cheek. The two of us went to the audience. Hana tackled me with a hug the minute she saw me, "YOU WERE INCREDUBLE!"

I laughed, "Awww thanks Hana."

Many people in the audience grinned at me and told me I did great. Some clapped me on the back and complimented me. Gosh, I wasn't use to this type of attention. I noticed that none of the guys were there and that Sasori was also missing but before I could ask, the MC started to speak.

"And now we've come to the end of-" The MC was cut off abruptly by someone; it was a guy who was whispering something in the MC's ear. The MC's eyes widened and he broke into a grin. He nodded at the guy and the guy left.

"Hold your horses. Now this group, we've known for a long time. But suddenly, they disappeared off of the face of this planet. But now they're making a comeback so let's give it up for the AKATSUKI!"

The crowd went wild after hearing the name 'Akatsuki.' My eyes were as wide as golf balls and so were Kisame's and Hana's. Slowly, I started to smirk; Pein had made the right decision.

Hana squealed softly, "This is amazing! They're finally performing."

Kisame laughed, "Well, it's about time!"

There they were on stage; Sasori on the drums who had a grin on his face, Tobi on the keyboard who looked at excited as ever, Itachi on the guitar in front of a mic smiling softly, Deidara on the base with a smirk and Pein on the vocals, in front of a mic, holding a guitar. I noticed that they were all wearing cloaks; a long black cloak with red and white cloud designs on them. I wonder what they were for

"That's the Akatsuki's uniform," Kisame explained, as if he read my mind. "Pein designed it himself. The red clouds symbolize all the bloodshed and loss Ame has experienced. You could say Pein had been through a lot; he lost important people in his life." I nodded. I wonder what Pein had lost.

"Hey," Pein said flatly into the mic. The girls went wild. Pein gave a faint smirk. I rolled my eyes; cocky bastard. "It's been a long time since we've been on a stage and honestly, it feels good being up here again.

The Akatsuki was broken for quite a while and suddenly, an annoying blue bird kept chirping that we should make a comeback. I needed time to decide on making a comeback or not but I never got it because the same annoying bird kept saying 'Don't waste time; time is precious.'"

I crossed my arms; he was talking about me. Kisame and Hana also knew so they laughed softly. I pouted, "I'm not an annoying blue bird!"

"In the end," Pein went on. "That bird was right; making music is what we're good at and we shouldn't have quit . . . not yet anyway. So we're back now and we'll be performing an old song of ours since we made or comeback recently and we haven't composed any new songs yet. It's called 'Mirror.'

Apparently, many knew the song (especially girls) since everyone started to cheer loudly. The music was slow and Tobi started off on the keyboard. Very soon, Pein started to sing and boy was I mesmerized.

_**Uh,  
With everything happening today,  
You don't know whether you're coming or going, but,  
You think that you're on your way,  
Life line dubbed on the mirror,  
Don't blow it.**_

His voice was deep and rich like silk and it suited him. Whoa, I can't believe I was thinking that. But then again . . . I couldn't deny it.

_**Look at me when I'm talking to you,  
you're looking at me but I'm looking through you.  
I see the blood in your eyes,  
I see the love in disguise.  
I see the pain hidden in your pride,  
I see you're not satisfied.  
And I don't see nobody else,  
I see myself,  
I'm looking at the**_

Itachi started to sing the chorus.

_**Mirror on the wall,  
Here we are again.  
Through my rise and fall,  
you've been my only friend.  
You told me that they can't,  
understand the man I am.  
So why are we, here,  
talking to each other again?**_

Itachi had a damn fine voice. The girls went crazy. Hana simply stared at him with a dreamy expression. I couldn't help but smirk.

_**Uh,  
I see the truth in your lies,  
I see nobody by your side.  
But I'm with you when you're all alone,  
and you correct me when I'm looking wrong.**_

His lyrics seemed like it had a story behind it. But his voice molded perfectly with the music and the lyrics that I couldn't help but admire and envy him at the same time.

_**I see the guilt beneath the shame,  
I see your soul through your window pane.  
I see the scars that remain,  
I see Pein, I'm looking at the**_

_**Mirror on the wall,  
Here we are again.  
Through my rise and fall,  
you've been my only friend.  
You told me that they can't,  
understand the man I am.  
So why are we, here,  
talking to each other again?**_

_**Looking at me now, I can see my past,  
Damn, I really look just like my dad.  
Light it up, that smoke and mirrors,  
I even look good in the broken mirror.  
I see my mama's smile as a blessing,  
I see the change, I see the message.  
And no message could have been any clearer,  
so I'm looking at the man in the**_

The beat and tune softened a bit and as Itachi sang, the girls even made love declarations and some fainted. Hana was still in her dreamy state.

_**Mirror on the wall,  
here we are again.  
Through my rise and fall,  
you've been my only friend.  
You told me that they can't,  
understand the man I am.  
So why . . . are we . . .  
talking to each other again?**_

Everything was silent except for the murmurs in the audience. Then, Sasori started to play the drums again with the others following his lead. This time, both Itachi and Pein sang the chorus.

_**Mirror on the wall,  
Here we are again.  
Through my rise and fall,  
you've been my only friend.  
You told me that they can't,  
understand the man I am.  
So why are we, here,  
talking to each other again?**_

Pein's voice was incredible even if he wasn't rapping! Damn it; now I get why people call him God. He was, dare I say it, perfect. Itachi sang the last lines.

_**So why . . . are we . . .  
talking to each other again?**_

The crowd went wild. Pein softly thanked the crowd and the band left the stage. Their fan girls crowded them like anything but they got away. Kisame slung an arm around Hana and my shoulder, "Let's go to my dorm; they'll probably be there."

And so we went to Itachi and Kisame's dorm room. It was very neat on one side and very messy on the other. The guys were already there just as Kisame said. Sasori was on the clean bed with Deidara sitting next to him. Pein was leaning against the wall while Itachi sat on the table which was in the clean side. Tobi was sitting cross-legged on the messy side.

I sat on the floor while Hana took the chair next to the table. Kisame jumped onto the messy bed next to Tobi.

"Well looks like someone doesn't like to clean." I told Kisame with a grin.

He chuckled, "Itachi keeps everything tidy but I like it messy; makes me feel at home. Sometimes he forces me to clean and it is such a pain."

"I totally know what you mean, Kisame," I told him. I crossed my arms. "Hana forces me to pick up all my stuff and she won't even listen when I tell her that some of the stuff is meant for the floor!"

Itachi sighed, "At least one of us is trying to maintain a healthy hygiene habit, Kisame."

Hana threw a pencil at me, "I make you clean up because I trip over your 'stuff.' Plus, it looks untidy."

Kisame and I looked at each other, "A match made in heaven!" We started to laugh and slap high-fives.

Deidara scoffed, "You two might have been siblings in the past life, un."

"Could be." Kisame mused. I nodded in agreement.

"Anyway," I started to say. "You guys were awesome!"

Sasori grinned, "That's us . . . mainly me."

"Shut up." Itachi muttered, making Sasori glare playfully at him.

"Konan," said Deidara. I looked at him. He gave me a brief smile. "Thanks, un."

I grinned, "No problem! There; I've kept my promise."

"Now it's time I kept mine." Deidara replied.

"What are you guys talking about?" asked Hana.

I made a shushing sound, "Top secret." Hana sighed and poked the side of my head.

"Well," I said as I got up. "This was fun but it's about time we go back to our own dorms before your fan girls make any accusations and the teachers find _girls _in a boy's dorm."

"Goodnight!" Tobi said happily. He yawned and plopped back down on the bed. I laughed and bid goodnight.

"Bye wifey!" Sasori said with a grin. Hana blushed and shyly murmured a goodnight. She when said goodnight to Itachi and left.

I looked at Deidara, "Goodnight Deidei."

He rolled his eyes and smirked, "Goodnight Sharpie."

I looked at Pein, "Goodnight Mr. Moody."

He sighed, "Still not over that, are you?" I simply stuck my tongue out at him. Hana had already left. When I reached about five meters away from the door, a hand grabbed my wrist.

I turned around to see Pein. I raised an eyebrow, "Don't tell me you're afraid of the boogie man."

"I consider you my rival." That was all he said before he turned and left. I didn't understand him at first but I suddenly recalled our conversation that seemed so long ago.

'_You'll know soon enough . . .' _He had said. I now understood what he meant. Fabulous; I had the college's most popular guy, who was worshiped like a God, as my rival. What a way to spice up my college life!

**Me: I just had to put Hidan and Kakuzu in there!**

**Tobi: -nods- Stay tuned for more.**

**Both: Read and Review! **


	11. Chapter 11

**Me: Tobi, how long has it been?**

**Tobi: Months! Lots of Months!**

**Me:-sigh- I know right? Sorry guys. My internet sucks but here we are with the eleventh chapter.**

**Tobi: Tobi has been a good boy!**

**Me: Yes he has! Anyways enjoy!**

**CHAPTER 11**

I must say; gaining popularity overnight was not what I had in mind. After the concert, people treated me like I was some sort of star and well, it was hard getting used to it because I'd been a rebel my entire life; trust me, the life of a rebel isn't easy!

The amount of money we made with the Child Labor Program was used to buy clothes, stationary and food for the children who were going through poverty in the north. It's been a week and Hana went back to ugly sweaters, ponytails and glasses. I wish she'd stay the way she was yesterday but then again, she's Hana; she's my best friend no matter how she looked.

Right now, I'm currently bored out of my mind as Anko explains about some legendary musicians. I know Ame is the only college which has music as a totally separate course. We don't have text books but we get printed notes and we have to do a theory and practical exam; kinda like the computer courses but it deals with music rather than computers.

After the bell rang, signaling the end of today's sessions, everyone cheered; including myself. There was two whole weeks of holiday starting tomorrow because it was the celebration of the annual rain festival. It was celebrated each year in Ame and there was a huge festival that was held. It was awesome; there was a huge carnival held too!

During our two weeks of holidays, we were allowed to go to our home towns as well and I was super excited because this year, finally, I was going to Konoha! I was going to spend a week in Konoha and a week celebrating the rain festival. How cool is that! I've only seen Konoha in pictures and heard Hana talk about it. I've never visited it personally. But now I was going; I was really going. Maybe I'll get to see my rainbow . . .

I headed straight for my dorm; Hana was already there and she was packing her stuff. I grinned at her, "Konoha, here we come!"

Hana laughed, "It's your first time there isn't it? You're going to love it! I bet it has changed since I last saw it."

"We'll just have to wait and see! Okay, I have to pack now." I said as I reached under my bed for my suitcase. Strangely, it wasn't there.

Hana cleared her throat. She patted an object next to her; my suitcase, "Since it's your first time going to Konoha, I thought you'll get impatient and just toss everything in messily so I did it for you."

I hugged her, "You're the best. Thanks!"

Hana smiled, "You're welcome."

I pulled away, "Need help with your stuff?"

Hana shook her head, "Nah, I'm done. I'm just going to go to the lab to get my encyclopedia; I forgot it there."

I nodded, "I'm going to go out. I wanna enjoy the rain; I doubt I'll see much of it in Konoha."

Hana laughed, "You're right; oh, and say goodbye to the guys okay?" I nodded and headed out of the dorm.

It was raining really heavily but everything seemed so beautiful. I was in the hallway and I saw an open window. I looked out and saw everyone rushing inside, trying to get away from the rain. I laughed softly as I saw snickering Deidara, who was holding a deep red umbrella, trying to get away from a soaking wet Sasori who was yelling at Deidara to give his umbrella back.

I was excited about going to Konoha but I know I'd miss Ame. It's just one week but still . . . Ame is my birthplace, my home. Everyone had rushed inside so there was no one in the college campus. I stuck my left hand out of the window and let the raindrops fall on my hands. I smiled as they formed a small puddle of water in my palm.

And then it happened; something green fell from above and straight onto my hand. I cried out in pain and jerked my hand away but it was too late; the acid was already on my hand. It was eating through my flesh and the burning pain was unbearable. I fell to my knees and clutched my hand. I tried to get up so that I could go to the bathroom and wash it off but I was too numb to get up.

Suddenly, I felt a pair of arms lift me up and drag me off somewhere. I tried to see who it was but my vision blurred from my tears. The person, I could make out it was a guy, had taken me to a bathroom because I felt the cool water flow out of the tap and onto my palm. It stung a bit but the pain wasn't as bad as before.

"You okay?" a familiar voice asked. I used my other hand to wipe the tears away. Then I turned to see who the person was only to be met by a pair of alluring purple eyes.

"Pein?" I said shakily.

"Are you okay?" He repeated.

I nodded slowly. I noticed his arms were still supporting me, holding me by the waist. I blushed as tried to stand on my own but I collapsed back into his arms again. I laughed sheepishly, "Sorry."

He sighed, "Come on, let's go to the nurse."

Pein had to support my weight since my whole body was too numb to move. He held me by the waist and dragged me towards the nurse's office. I was really trying to suppress the blush that was threatening to crawl up on my cheeks.

"What do you eat? You're so heavy." Pein muttered.

I pouted, "I am not! My weight has been constant."

"Well, Miss Constant Weight, you should be more careful next time."

"How did you find me?" I asked him. "I mean, everyone's in their dorms getting ready for leaving aren't they?"

He was silent for a while. I looked at him, "Don't tell me that you were stalking me."

"Yeah right," Pein scoffed. "I was on my way to my dorm when I saw you."

I nodded, "I wonder where the acid came from."

"It was no accident." Pein muttered. I looked at him but he was looking the other way; he seemed to be thinking about something. I knew he words were true; the acid was no accident. But who was it? A fan girl maybe? Probably; I mean almost all the girls in this whole college hate me and Hana because of our friendship with the Akatsuki.

We reached the nurse's office. Pein knocked on the door.

"Come in!" A voice called out from inside.

We stepped inside and we saw the nurse, Shizune, standing on a chair and stacking some medicine bottles in the top cabinet. She stepped down after stacking the last bottle and jumped down. She looked at us and grinned; for an adult, she sure had a hell lot of stamina.

Shizune was the head of the Medical Department too. She had short black hair and black eyes and she was currently wearing a brown shirt and black skirt with black flats. She put her hands on her hips, "So guys, what can I do for you?"

"Shizune-san, could you check her hand?" Pein said as he gestured towards me.

Shizune gasped when she saw my hand, "Come here Konan. Sit." She patted the chair which she had been standing on. I gingerly sat on the chair and Shizune came up to me while putting on a pair of disposable gloves.

I winced when she touched the burnt skin of my hand. Shizune examined the wound on my hand; it looked horrible. The skin was red and charred and some of the skin portions were peeling off.

"Goodness, what happened?" Shizune asked me as she shook her head.

"Umm . . ." I started to say. I wasn't really good at explaining things. "I was sticking my hand out of the window and some acid fell from above and it landed on my palm."

"What?" Shizune said with a confused frown. I bit my tongue. Great; the way I said it, it sounded like the acid had fallen out of the sky. Now Shizune must think I'm crazy.

"The window in the chemistry lab was open," said Pein. Shizune and I looked at him. He cleared his throat and looked away. "Acid doesn't fall out of the sky; my guess is the wind knocked it over or someone did it on purpose. I'm suspecting someone did it because if it were the wind, the container would have fallen along with it. But it didn't."

Shizune nodded, "I see. But who would do this? The acid on Konan's hand is a very strong one. It would have killed her if it had further entered her skin. You did a good job today, Pein."

I sighed quietly with relief as Shizune applied some ointment on my hand. I turned to see Pein looking at me so intently with those beautiful eyes. I cleared my throat, "Thank you."

He understood that I was talking to him so he nodded. There was another silence. Shizune worked on my hand as I stared at the ceiling. That's when I noticed Pein was still here in the office.

"You don't have to stay," I told him. "I'm fine now." But he simply shook his head.

Shizune laughed softly and looked at Pein, "Well now, I'm surprised to see you care this much for someone else; especially when that someone is a woman."

I blushed and looked down at my hand; it was looking much better now. I peeked from my side and looked at Pein. He was looking away from Shizune, "Well now I couldn't just let her wither in pain now could I? That too, in the hallway."

Shizune chuckled and shook her head. She then bandaged my hand up and handed the ointment tube to me, "Change the bandage everyday and apply this ointment before you do. Since the damage wasn't that bad, you'll heal in about two week's time."

"Thank you Shizune-san." I said as I bowed politely.

Pein and I left the nurse's office and headed for our dorms. Before we part ways, I thanked him once again and headed back to the dorm ASAP!

Hana was waiting for me in the dorm. She was reading a book and when I opened the dorm door, she looked up, "Konan-chan, because of-"

She was cut off when she saw my hand. She immediately rushed towards me, "My God, Konan-chan what happened?!"

I told her what happened with the acid and Pein. Hana sighed, "Thank God Pein-san was there. I would tease you but I won't. He saved you."

I grinned, "Tee hee. Pein said someone must have done it on purpose but come on! It can be by accident right?"

"I was up in the chemistry lab to get my text book," said Hana. "I saw a beaker of something green, probably an acid, near the window. When I walked out, I saw someone in a hoodie come in. I just thought it was someone who came to get their stuff; like me."

There was an eerie silence.

"You think that hoodie person did it?" I asked her.

"I don't know," said Hana. "But if it was, I'll tear him apart!"

"It was a male?" I asked, noticing she said _him_.

Hana scratched her cheek, "I'm just assuming; it was hard to tell whether if it was a male or female because of the hood."

I sighed, "I guess we should assume it's an accident because I don't think we'll ever know who it was."

Hana nodded, "Well, what did Shizune-san say?"

"She told me to change my bandages everyday and to apply the ointment before I apply new bandages," I said as I held up my ointment tube. "Oh, Hana, what did you want to tell me when I came in? I mean before you saw my hand?"

Hana sighed, "We won't be going to Konoha today because of the rain."

"WHAT?! Says who?!" I yelled.

"Sasori-kun stopped by and told me; I guess he and Deidara-san were going somewhere too." Hana replied.

I groaned and sat on my bed, "I was so excited!"

Hana smiled, "So was I. But hey, we'll leave tomorrow."

"Tomorrow seems so long!" I moaned as I buried my face in my pillow.

Hana laughed, "You're just being impatient!"

"Am not." I muttered. I knew Hana was right . . . but that doesn't mean I'm going to tell her that.

Pein was behind the college. He went back to the dorm to get his iPod and then had headed for the back. The raindrops clattered noisily upon his black umbrella. He listened to some music on his iPod, a piano piece performed by who was the most important person in the world to him; his mother.

He clenched his fists. His mother and father were dead. He knew that very well. He lived with his aunt and uncle, whom he called his 'parents.' He loved them but it wasn't the same as being with his real parents.

Suddenly, he heard a voice from the corner. He didn't like people coming to his favorite spot, except for Konan but that was only because he found her company somewhat relaxing.

He listened to the voice; it was a male voice. The person seemed to be talking to himself. Pein recognized him even though he was wearing a hoodie; it was one of the students from the Music Department. He was holding a wad of cash in his hand and was waving it around happily.

"Heh," said the boy. "I get paid so much just to spill some acid; this is the life!"

Pein knew right away that this was the person who had spilled acid on Konan. His guess was right; it wasn't an accident.

Swiftly, Pein kicked the boy straight in a pressure point behind his back. The boy gasped and tumbled forward. He looked back threateningly, about to pounce at the person who had kicked him but his eyes widened when he saw that the person who kicked him was Pein.

"P-Pein-sama!" He stuttered

"So you were the one who spilled acid on Konan's hand." Pein said with a cold glare.

"N-no," he blubbered. "I mean . . . she I-"

Pein grabbed him harshly by the collar, "Who paid you to do this?"

"F-Fuyu-chan," he said helplessly. "She told me to get rid o-of Konan. She p-p-planed everything!"

Pein would have groaned out loud but he didn't; his number one fan girl had paid the boy to harm Konan. He glared at the boy so intently that the boy yelped like a helpless puppy, "You tell Fuyu-chan that if she pulls off any more stunts like that," He leaned in so that his mouth was next to the boy's ear. "I'll destroy her."

Pein let the boy go and he tried scrambled away but Pein called out to him, "I did not give you permission to leave."

The boy immediately froze and turned around to face Pein, "Y-yes?"

"You owe an apology to Konan," said Pein. "I'll be watching you; if you don't apologize . . ." He let the threat hang in the air and the boy understood the message clearly.

Pein dismissed the boy but he was too scared to move. Pein started to walk away. The question on the boy's tongue came rolling off immediately, "Is she your girlfriend?"

Pein stopped and turned to glare at the boy. The boy immediately regretted what he said. However, Pein simply shook his head and spoke, "She is innocent and hasn't done anything wrong; she doesn't deserve to be sprayed with acid." And with that, he walked away.

As Pein walked back to his dorm, he couldn't help but wonder himself; why did he care so much about Konan?

Care? Where did that come from? Pein shook his head; caring for someone meant attachment. Attachment meant bonds and bonding meant pain. He had sworn he would never become attached with anyone; ever. He had learnt the lesson of pain the hard way . . .

**Me: Ooh-la-la! Pein-sama is opening up more!**

**Tobi: -nods- What is his secret? **

**Me: Well you just have to wait and see.**

**Both: Read and Review! **


	12. Chapter 12

**Me: Yeah well my internet is working again. The person who updated my fanfic last time was my assistant Chicky. Arigatou Chicky-chan!**

**Tobi: Have a cookie –holds out cookie-**

**Me: Give it to her later.**

**Tobi: Okay! –Eats the cookie himself-**

**CHAPTER 12**

"WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" I yelled loudly as I ran out my dorm. Today was the day; I was finally going to Konoha. The sky was calm and the weather was perfect so I couldn't wait. I didn't apologize to the people I bumped into. I just kept on running."

I reached the front of the college gate and took a moment to catch my breath. I looked back and I saw Hana bowing her head and apologizing to the people I bumped into. She met my gaze and gave me a glare. I gave a grin and yelled towards them, "SORRY!"

Everyone was outside of the gate and was waiting for their loved ones to pick them up. Aiko and Fuyu were flirting with guys and the guys looked interested in them too. I pity those guys; they don't know what they're getting themselves into.

The weather was great too; a little bit of sunlight peeped through the clouds along with a light drizzle but it wasn't enough to make anyone wet so nobody bothered with an umbrella. I was wearing a black long-sleeved shirt and grey skinny jeans with white Vans. My hair was in its usual style with my origami in place and I wore a plain grey stud.

Hana soon caught up with me. She was dragging our entire luggage and was breathing heavily. I'm a bad friend for letting her do all the work but hey, I couldn't help it; I was super excited!

She set our luggage down and put her hands on her hips, "Really?"

I laughed, "Oh geez, lighten up! We're going to Konoha! Don't be a stick in the mud."

Hana huffed, "Fine."

Hana was wearing a sweater over her favorite lavender-colored shirt and a white skirt with long white socks and white flats. Her hair was in a loose ponytail and her glasses were in place but there was just one problem. Remember that sweater I mentioned? It was RIDICULOUS!

It was fuzzy and a bright magenta color with had the picture of a daisy in front. It was a gift from one of the grandmas at the senior centers in Ame; Hana always helped them out during weekends when we were in high school. One day she came home holding a big ball of fuzz; the disaster sweater, I like to call it.

I told Hana several times that it was really hideous (I know it's mean but honesty is the best policy!) but she never listens to me. She keeps saying that it was a gift and that she will cherish it forever. She says that I have to learn to be grateful for everything. I was glad she didn't wear it often in high school. I never thought she'd bring it to college . . .

"Do you _have_ to wear the disaster sweater?" I groaned.

Hana rolled her eyes, "Don't call it that! I told you; you have to be grateful for everything."

"Yo check it out; four eyes' thinks she's some sort of a pink fairy!" Aiko yelled. I glared at Aiko who was standing smugly next to Fuyu who was laughing her head off. Everyone started to laugh at Hana but Hana stayed calm. I was about snap back but someone beat me to it.

"I think it looks good on her." Sasori said smoothly. He was wearing a black sweater over a white shirt and ripped jeans with black DCs. His headphones were the same magenta color as Hana's sweater but of a darker shade so that it didn't look girlish.

The fan girls gasped. Aiko looked horrified, "Sasori-kun!"

Sasori shrugged, "What? I'm being honest; Hana looks cute in magenta."

Aiko's face was turning the color of her hair. A posh black limo pulled up and she and Fuyu flicked their hair and got in. I wonder where they were going; to the land of bitches, maybe. Everyone went back to minding their business; I guess they knew it was smart not to mess with an Akatsuki.

Hana turned crimson, "Thank you, Sasori-kun."

Sasori grinned, "No problem. By the way, we match." He tapped his headphones and Hana blushed deeper. Sasori said goodbye and left.

I sighed and started to hum to myself. Once Hana starts blushing, she was like an electric oven; it takes time for her to cool down. I don't know how long it had been but I didn't care; I was enjoying the weather.

"You seem happy." A voice said lazily. I turned to my side to see Pein standing there with his hands in his pocket. He was wearing a grey hoodie with jeans and black converse. I jumped back; damn he startled me!

"W-when did you get here?!" I yelled.

He sighed, "I was here before you."

I huffed and crossed my arms; damn arrogant bastard. There was an awkward silence between us; where was Hana?! The silence was getting thicker. Finally he spoke, "How's your hand?"

I was taken aback; it's not every day your 'rival' looks out for your well being, especially when the rival happens to be _Pein_. I answered, "It's fine, thanks." Another silence; damn it Hana, where are you?!

"Oh, Pein-san's here as well." Hana said from behind me.

"Where were you?!" I exclaimed. Then I realized Pein was looking at me funny. I cleared my throat; awkward.

"I just went to say goodbye to a friend. Good morning, Pein-san," said Hana. Pein simply nodded in return. Hana smiled brightly. "About Konan-chan's hand . . . thank you for taking care of her. I know she can be very clumsy and cheery."

Pein smirked, "I agree."

I pouted, "Hey!"

Tobi came running towards us. He was wearing a yellow jacket with black pants and sneakers. He was carrying a bright red backpack and was humming happily.

"Good morning!" He beamed happily. He must have taken a shower because when shook his spiky black hair, water bounced off and hit us; geez, this guy was just like a puppy!

Hana giggled, "Good morning Tobi. You going back home too?"

Tobi nodded happily; another dose of water droplets for me since I was the person standing closest to him, "Tobi's going to Konoha!"

"You're from Konoha?" I asked him He nodded happily; another dose of water. Pein was smirking at me. He's enjoying watching me get sprayed; no fair!

"Konoha?" Hana said happily. "We're going there too!"

Tobi clapped his hands happily, "Yay! This will be fun!"

"Excited?" said a voice. We turned to see Kisame and Itachi and Deidara, who were walking behind them. I was surprised that the fan girls didn't keep running towards them like they always do; I guess most of them were already gone by now. Time sure flies . . .

"YEAH!" Tobi and I yelled.

Kisame was wearing a black t-shirt with jeans and black converse. Itachi was wearing a black jacket with the zipper undone so that it showed the grey t-shirt underneath with black skinny jeans and black Vans. Deidara was wearing a black tank top with basketball shorts and sneakers. He had a grey pullover slung over his shoulder.

"Fan girls not bothering you?" Hana asked playfully.

Itachi smirked, "For once, no. Nice sweater; you look . . . very bright." Hana blushed and mumbled a thank you.

"Without the fan girls, it feels weird," said Deidara. "But a good kind of weird, un."

"That made no sense," said Sasori, as he walked up to us. Deidara glared at him but Sasori ignored. He looked towards me. "So I'm assuming you're heading to Konoha."

"Yup," I replied. "You too?" If I recall, Gaara, his younger brother, lived in Konoha so maybe he was going there too.

"Nah I'm going to Suna," said Sasori. "I'm gonna visit my grandma once."

I nodded. I looked at Itachi, "Since Tobi is from Konoha, does that mean you are too?"

Itachi nodded, "I am. The plan was to go to Konoha today."

"Was?" Pein said as he raised an eyebrow.

Itachi sighed, "My dad wants me to do something first; it'll take the whole day so we'll only be leaving tomorrow."

"WHAT?!" Tobi yelled. Ouch! I think my left ear has gone deaf; and the fact that Pein was still smirking didn't help. "But Tobi is ready to go home!"

"Sorry Tobi," Itachi said apologetically. "I promise that we'll leave tomorrow; for sure." Tobi crossed his arms and turned away mumbling under his breath like a kid who had been told that the ice cream parlor was closed so he couldn't have any.

"What happened to your hand, un?" Deidara asked suddenly.

I looked at my bandaged hand, "Oh, Ummm . . . I had an accident. No biggie."

Deidara raised his eyebrow as if to say _'You're a bad liar, you know?' _I gave up, "Fine! I got acid spilled on my hand, okay?"

"And that's a 'no biggie?'" said Kisame. "What happened?"

It was frustrating but I explained to them what happened. I left out the part about Pein saving me. I looked at him and he seemed unaffected. I guess it will be our dirty little secret.

"Hope you're okay." Itachi said with concern. I nodded and grinned.

"Pein-san helped Konan-chan get to the nurse." Hana beamed. Well now, I guess there are no more secrets; thanks a lot Hana!

"Really?" Itachi said with an amused tone. He looked at Pein with a teasing expression. "That was . . . unexpected of you."

"Are you softening up?" Sasori said cheekily as he poked Pein's shoulder.

Pein turned away, "Shut up." Sasori and Kisame snickered and bumped fists.

Deidara grabbed my hand and examined it, "It's not serious, is it?"

I shook my head. He gently squeezed my hand and let it go. "Shizune-san said it'll be okay; I just have to keep changing the bandages and applying an ointment she gave me." Deidara nodded; he looked relieved for some reason.

"Ummm . . . Konan-san?" a nervous and shaky voice said from behind me. I turned to see a guy with brown hair and blue eyes looking at me sheepishly. I didn't know the guy personally but I knew he was one of the students who took the same course as me.

"What's up?" I said with a grin.

The guy (I can't recall his name; is that bad?) looked really nervous and I could literally feel his tension.

Maybe it was the fact that all the Akatsuki, Hana and Kisame was now looking at him or maybe Hana's sweater (I wish she wouldn't wear that; it really hideous!) or maybe it was my bandage; it was kinda ugly. I tried to draw a smiley on it to make it look better but since the bandage was made out of cloth, it came out deformed and it looked like some sort of fungus. Not my fault!

Finally he took a deep breath and spoke, "About your hand . . . I'm sorry." Oh so it was my hand; I guess he felt pity on me. I didn't need pity but like Hana always says, be grateful for everything. Like she was grateful for that sweater; Heh!

"Oh come on; it's no biggie! It's not like it's your fault I got my hand burned," I said with a grin. Then it hit me. "It isn't . . . right?" The guy swallowed hard. Pein was right; it wasn't an accident.

Deidara's whole body tensed and I noticed his fists were clenched. Pein had an unreadable expression. Although, for some reason, he looked like he was saying _'Well it's about time.'_ But I shook that thought off; time for what? I must be going crazy.

The guy looked down at his feet, "I'm really sorry. Please forgive me." Was it me or did he keep glancing in Pein's direction . . . and that too with fear? Nah must be my imagination.

Anyway, I know I should be pissed and that I should be screaming my head off while beating him to a bloody pulp. But I wasn't. In fact, it wasn't a big deal to me. Whoa, what's happening to me?!

Apparently, someone did attack him; guess who?

"Why you little-ARGH!" Hana yelled as she tackled the guy to the ground. Shocked aren't you? Everyone was; the looks on Sasori and Itachi's face were priceless. However, the two of them pulled Hana away and held her back.

Hana fought in Sasori and Itachi's grasp. She yelled at the poor guy who was still on the ground, "You hurt my best friend! There's no way I'm gonna let you get away that easily!" Itachi and Sasori somehow managed to calm her down. People were looking our way but Pein glared at them and they went back to what they were doing. I wish I had that power.

The guy stood up clutching his jaw; I think Hana broke his jaw. I guess that's my influence on her. Although it was bad, I really felt proud; that's my best friend!

"Forgive me." The guy repeated. This time, his voice came out shakier; maybe because he just felt Hana's wrath.

"You burn her hand and you just expect her to forgive you, un?!" Deidara hissed. Whoa, I've never seen Deidei this upset. Even his 'un' catchphrase, which I normally found cute, sounded threatening.

I put my hand on his shoulder which was bare since he was wearing a tank top; his skin was really hot. (And by hot I mean his body temperature had risen . . . although he was kinda hot in the other way too but don't you dare say that I said that to Hana), "Deidara, stop it." He was reluctant but he calmed down.

I looked back at the guy who was probably scared out of his skin. I raised an eyebrow, "If I forgive you, do you promise not to pull off another stunt like that? I mean not just me but to anyone."

He nodded vigorously, "I promise."

I sighed, "Fine, I forgive you. Now get lost." The guy thanked me over and over and scampered off real quick.

I turned to meet Deidara's confused expression. I shrugged, "He isn't worth it."

Deidara scoffed, "Whatever, un. I'll be right back." The cuteness to the 'un' was back. I watched as he walked away from the group.

I turned and grinned at Hana, "You can be scary sometimes, ya know?"

Sasori let out a loud sigh, "Wifey, you're one tough cookie."

Itachi nodded, "You are very strong for a woman."

Hana blushed, "I-I was just angry!"

"Does it make me a bad person to be proud of you for fighting?" said an oh-so familiar voice behind us.

Tsume-san was wearing a brown leather jacket over a black midriff top and dark blue ripped jeans with brown Ugg boots. Her hair was as wild as usual and she also wore a black spiky choker and black fingerless gloves. She was leaning against the SUV and grinning at us.

"Who's she?" Sasori whispered to me.

Hana sighed, "You could hurt yourself with that choker."

Tsume scoffed, "Don't lecture your mother, young lady."

"Mother?!" Sasori and Kisame exclaimed. They then composed themselves and looked away.

Tsume laughed out loud, "Hard to believe isn't it? But yeah, I'm her mom. No need to introduce yourselves; Hana already told me who you are."

"Really?' I said. I looked at Hana. "When?"

Hana shrugged, "I update her on Skype."

"You never let me Skype with Tsume-san." I said with a pout.

Hana rolled her eyes, "That's because you are snoring under the covers when I'm on Skype."

"I don't snore . . . much," I mumbled. Pein looked at me with an amused expression. I groaned, "Oh, don't look at me like that!"

Tsume chuckled. She then looked at the guys, "Okay, which one of you is Hana's boyfriend?"

"Mom!" Hana yelled. She was turning red all over again.

Tsume raised an eyebrow, "So you don't have one?"

"Of course not!" Hana exclaimed. She forgot to mention she had two hot guys who liked her; I should update Tsume-san later.

Tsume sighed, "Well I bet it's because you're flat and you are wearing a hideous sweater."

"Mom!" Hana yelled again.

"See? I told you the sweater was ugly!" I butted in cheekily.

Hana pouted, "I hate you guys; two against one is no fair!"

Tsume looked at Itachi and grinned brightly, "Well I'd be damned; you're Fugaku's son aren't you?"

Itachi nodded, "You know my father?"

"Damn right I do," said Tsume. "We go way back. When Hana said Itachi, I thought the name was familiar! You have grown very well. You were only two when I first saw you."

"I saw your picture in my mother's albums," said Itachi. "She told me a lot about you. I never thought you'd be Hana's mother."

"Wait," said Hana. She looked back and forth between Itachi and Tsume. "You guys know each other?"

Itachi smiled, "Well this is the first time I'm meeting your mother in person."

Tsume laughed, "You know him too, Hana. You guys met when you were little."

"I . . . don't remember." Hana admitted.

"Neither do I." said Itachi.

"Oh, Hana was a few months old and Itachi was two," said Tsume. "I would visit the Uchihas once in a while. Hana would pull Itachi's hair and make him cry. Then she'd get upset and start crying too."

Kisame snapped his finger, "I think Mikoto-chan showed me a baby picture of Itachi getting his hair pulled by another little baby. I think that was Hana."

I laughed, "That's so cute! I have to see that picture."

Hana was turning really, really red; so red that her face looked like a sculpture of molten lava (Hey, I'm kinda good at descriptions, aren't I?). Itachi chuckled and patted her back, "Calm down, you'll faint." I thought she would too but somehow, she didn't. She kept fanning her face with her hands.

Sasori smirked, "I guess we know now that Hana was a tough cookie, even as a baby; you made Itachi cry!"

"Sasori-kun!" Hana exclaimed. Sasori chuckled and ruffled her hair.

"I like your sister," Tsume said to Sasori. "She's real cute and very helpful."

Sasori rubbed the back of his head, "That's Sakura for ya."

"She reminds me of Hana," said Tsume. "Always studying, flat around the chest area, always keeps blushing and she likes that Uchiha boy; just like Hana."

"Excuse me?" Hana said as she put her hands on her hips.

"Don't deny honey; you like Itachi, don't you?" Tsume pointed her thumb towards Itachi. "Or do you like Sasori?" She gestured to Sasori.

"Mom!" Hana exclaimed. Itachi was right; Hana might faint. Itachi and Sasori looked amused.

I used my hands to fan Hana's face, "Okay Tsume-san, I think Hana has reached her limit."

Tsume sighed, "Fine. I'll turn the van around. Nice meeting you guys." She then got into the SUV and drove away.

"Oh my," said a female voice. "Hana?"

Hana straightened up and turned to see who it was; we all did. A girl with short black hair and black eyes was grinning brightly. She was wearing a red shirt of which one of the sleeves' was long and the other was short. She also wore a black skirt with fishnet stockings and black ankle boots.

Hana gasped, "Kurotsuchi-chan?!"

The two screamed and ran to hug each other. They started to jump up and down and dance around (that kinda rhymed).

Hana pulled away and smiled brightly, "How long has it been?"

"Centuries maybe," the girl, Kurotsuchi, replied with a laugh. "How have you been?"

They started to chat away happily. Hana then noticed me looking at her and cleared her throat, "Everyone, this is Kurotsuchi. She's a good friend of mine."

"I've met you all," said Kurotsuchi. She then looked at me. "Except for you. The name's Kurotsuchi." She held out her hand.

"Konan," I said as I shook her hand. "Uh, how do you know everyone else here?"

"Of all the people, _you_ have to come to pick me up?" I heard Deidara's voice say. He was looking unhappy as he walked up next to me.

Kurotsuchi smirked, "Yeah well, be grateful that I am generous enough to come and pick you up, Deidara-nii!"

"'Nii?' Deidei, is she your sister?" I asked him.

Kurotsuchi laughed, "Deidei huh? Cute. No I'm not his sister. Our families are buddies so that's how I know him. I call him 'nii' because . . . well, it's a habit. Everyone here I know since they all went to school together with Deidara-nii."

Deidara scoffed, "I thought Kitsuchi-san was picking me up."

"Dad got busy so I came instead." Kurotsuchi said smugly.

Deidara raised an eyebrow, "Spill it."

"She hijacked dad's car." said a male voice. It was a chubby boy wearing a red t-shirt, khaki shorts and sneakers.

Kurotsuchi groaned, "Can't you zip it for once?"

Hana smiled, "Akatsuchi's here too?"

"Oi Hana-chan; long time no see!" The boy, Akatsuchi, beamed as he hugged Hana.

"Hi everyone," Akatsuchi said with a smile. He looked at me. "Hello, who are you?"

"I'm Konan." I said with a small smile. I was kinda bored of being the newbie.

He smiled brightly, "That's a pretty name." I liked this guy. I replied with a thank you.

"As expected of a midget like you, un." Deidara said as sighed.

Kurotsuchi had a vein popping in her forehead, "Shut up, girlie."

Deidara twitched, "Midget!"

Kurotsuchi pouted, "Jerk!"

"Cheeky Brat!"

"Dumb blonde!"

"Stop it," said Akatsuchi. "Deidara-senpai, let's go."

Deidara sighed. He looked at me and gave me a two-fingered salute, "See ya Sharpie." I waved back. Was it just me or did Kurotsuchi send me an evil look. She then grinned, "Hana-chan, keep in touch!"

Hana nodded and bid goodbye. After everyone was done with goodbyes and the three of them had left, I spoke to Hana, "How do you know them?"

Hana looked embarrassed, "Ummm . . . long story."

"I've got time." I said as I crossed my arms; she was hiding something.

Tsume's van pulled up and she honked at us, telling us to get in. Hana quickly rushed to the van. I sighed and followed her. We said goodbye to the boys and hopped in. Hana's secret will have to wait for now. As we drove away, I saw Pein's hypnotizing eyes and I watched as moved out of view when we started to move away from the college.

I was going to miss them for some reason. Yeah, I admit it! But it wasn't forever; it was just a week and I'd be seeing them again. Geez what is wrong with me? Getting obsessed with _eyes?_ Great Konan; just great.

"Next stop: KONOHA!" I exclaimed loudly. Watch out Konoha because Konan's coming to town.

**Me: I hope you're ready for more because I've already written five more chapters. I'll update soon.**

**Tobi: -with his mouth full of cookies- MMMPHEW!**

**Me: -sweat drop- He means review.**


	13. Chapter 13

**[Currently in my office with Tobi and my assistant, Chicky-chan] **

**(A/N: Chicky is a real person. -_-)**

**Me: Chicky-chan is begging me to update sooner. I'm doing it late because it pisses her off. –Gets a tennis ball thrown on my head by Chicky-**

**Chicky: -moody face-**

**Me: ITAI dattebayo! **

**Tobi: So Tobi told Psy-chan that it wasn't fair to the fanfiction readers so here is the 13****th**** chapter! Enjoy!**

**CHAPTER 13**

My first thought when we entered through the gates which said _Konoha _was _'This town is beautiful!'_

It was completely different from Ame. It was so sunny here and the atmosphere was to cozy and peaceful yet something about the place seemed to be the definition of young, wild and free. There were a lot of buildings, malls, parks and other cool places.

I could see some schools, hospitals, workshops and colleges here and they all seemed to be of a high standard. The people seemed to be engaged in their own work and the whole town was the pure incarnation of the word 'happy.'

I couldn't see any sufferings nor could I sense hatred and sorrow here. But that can't be possible; everything and everyone always had a dark side. However, I couldn't sense it here; maybe this town has more positive vibes than negative.

Hana smiled, "It's changed so much!"

I had forgotten Hana was from Konoha. Tsume was born in Konoha and so was Hana but they had moved to Ame because that's where Hana's dad was from. Her dad; it was a sore subject to her and even though we were best friends, I had never heard _that_ story from Hana. I didn't force her either; because I had told her what exactly happened to my own family.

"How old were you when you last visited Konoha?" I asked her.

"I think I was five or four but I still remember the town. It has changed so much from what it used to be." Hana replied, never taking her eyes away from the window.

Tsume chuckled, "Well, how about this; after you two freshen up, we'll go pick up Kiba at school. He hates it when I come to pick him up but today is an exception."

I grinned; it would be fun to go see Kiba at his school. If I remember, his school was called Konoha High. It would be fun seeing him all dressed up in a uniform.

I saw a mountain which had five faces carved on it; four males and one female. It was a magnificent work of art; something Deidara would definitely like. I turned to Tsume, "Tsume-san, what's that?"

Hana saw what I was pointing at, "That's the great Hokage monument."

"Hokage monument?" I asked, confused.

"Konan," said Tsume. "Each of the five great countries, Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, and Lightning, all have a 'Kage.' A Kage is a leader; like . . . the ruler of that particular country. The Fire country has the Hokage, the water country has the Mizukage, the Earth country has the Tsuchikage, the Wind country has the Kazekage and the Lightening country has the Raikage.

These Kages are some of the most powerful people in the whole world. Those faces you see up the five Hokages; Senju Hashirama, the first, his brother, Senju Tobirama, the second, Sarutobi Hiruzen, the kind hearted third, Namikaze Minato, the fourth and finally the present and fifth Hokage, Tsunade."

"Tsunade," I said. "Why does that name sound familiar . . ."

"She is one of the top doctors in the whole world," said Hana. "She is known as the queen of slugs, lady of elixirs. Sasori-kun told us his sister was her disciple."

"Oh yeah! But Slugs?" I asked, amused.

"Long story," Tsume said with a smirk. "Anyway, the third died a few years ago and the fourth retired a long time back. Right now, we are under the reign of Lady Tsunade."

"The third died?" I asked.

"Yes," Tsume said sadly. "It was first announced only to the oldest citizens of Konoha; me and a couple of others, but soon, after two years, the death of the Third Hokage was officially announced."

Hana sighed, "He was like a grandfather to me." I could see Hana knew already but was still sad about the news.

I put a hand on her shoulder, "You know dead people don't rest in peace when the living weep or think about him. We came here to enjoy remember?"

Hana smiled, "You're right."

"When am I not?" I asked cheekily. I then looked at Tsume. "Tsume-san . . . who is the Kage of Ame?"

Hana giggled, "That rhymed." I stuck my tongue out at her.

"You know the answer," said Tsume. "Think about it; Ame. . . Rain. . ."

Then it hit me, "Ame is in the Water Country . . . so we have the Mizukage."

"That's right," said Tsume. "During the reign of the fourth Mizukage, the capital of the Water country, Kiri, was known as 'Blood Mist' for everyday, war waged on.

Now that dark period has ended. The Water country is under the reign of the fifth Mizukage, Terumi Mei. However, people say in Ame it is always cloudy and rainy for she weeps still for the loss of the country during the dark times."

Normally, I don't believe in superstitions but that kinda made sense to me; Ame weeps for the Water country.

'_I hate this place; it's always crying!' _voice said in my mind.

I clutched my head; I suddenly felt a sharp and throbbing pain. I started to fall forward. Hana grabbed my shoulders and held me up, "Konan-chan, are you okay?!"

"What's wrong honey?" Tsume asked.

"N-nothing," I said. "I just had a sudden throb in my head; I'm okay now."

What the hell was that?! The voice in my head wasn't my own but it was vaguely familiar. When I tried to think about it or tried to remember whose voice it was, my head hurt. I groaned and leaned on the seat.

Hana neatly folded a wet tissue and placed it on my head. She sighed, "Maybe it's because you were staring out the window; that makes me nauseous sometimes. Lie back and look straight ahead okay?"

I nodded meekly. Maybe Hana was right; maybe my excitement to come to Konoha got to me and maybe carsickness made me think nonsense. But still . . . why did that voice seem haunting as much as Pein's eyes did?

"Whoa!" Hana and I exclaimed as we stepped out of the SUV.

Tsume looked pretty smug, "I had some work done."

The house was two-storied and white in color. There were some flower boxes, with daffodils in them, attached to some windows and there was a stone path going into the house.

But that wasn't the cool part. The cool part was that on the roof . . . well there was a room. There was a whole den up there. It had glass windows for walls and I could see some things inside; sofas, a T.V, more flower pots and a table but I knew there was more to see. The den had a red roof over it (oh, so there's the roof) and it had a satellite dish on it.

"Mom, when did you do this?" Hana exclaimed.

"Last year actually," said Tsume. "Thought it would take longer but it didn't. Like it?"

"Well it looks awesome," I said with a grin. "Let's go inside!"

Tsume laughed, "Of course! But first, Hana, they've waited a long time for you."

"Who?" I asked.

Suddenly, a blur of grey tackled Hana to the ground and started to lick her face. Hana laughed as the Haimaru brothers barked in greeting. Who are the Haimaru brothers? Let me explain:

Everyone in the Inuzuka family had a dog. They didn't keep them as 'pets.' According to their family traditions, the Inuzukas were to keep one canine by their side at all times as a sign that the Inuzukas descended from the canines and that they still maintain a truce.

A young Inuzuka will be given a pup on their tenth birthday by their parents. Hana and I were ten when we met, right after I lost my parents. I was with Hana when she got the Haimaru brothers on her tenth birthday from Tsume. She told Hana that the three couldn't be separated so she had brought all three of them. Hana couldn't be happier.

When we started high school, Hana and I went looking for our own apartment but none of them allowed us to keep the Haimaru brothers. Finally, Tsume talked Hana into taking them to Konoha with her and Kiba. Hana was sad at first but she agreed.

They were known as the Haimaru brothers together but individually, they didn't really have names. I named them Ichi, Nii and San and Hana was quite satisfied with it too. I knew she hated so-called _cute_ doggy names like 'Poochi' or 'Spot' or 'Lulu.' But I do like to tease her one in a while with those names.

"I missed you too." Hana said as she got up. She reached into her bag and pulled out some treats for her beloved friends. They howled with delight and jumped up as Hana tossed a treat to each of them.

I grinned and petted the head of San, "Whoa, you guys are really big." It's true; dogs have a certain size when they grow up but these have crossed the limit. They were the size of wolves!

Tsume laughed, "These are Inuzuka canines; they are the most ferocious kind!" Well wherever the Inuzukas got their dogs from, they must be injecting mega-growth serums into their systems.

A gruff bark made us all turn to the door. A huge black dog . . . actually I should say wolf. A huge black wolf stood proudly. One eye was covered with an eye patch but the other shone in the light of the sun.

"Kuromaru get over here," said Tsume. "Don't you wanna say hi to the girls?"

Kuromaru was Tsume's canine. He was. . . How shall I put it? He was the leader of the Inuzuka canines, according to Tsume and Hana. Tsume had trained him herself; she has scars on her arms to prove it. She had passed an impossible test and had gained the honor among her clan. Now let me explain the test:

A canine and its trainer must 'grow together.' The owner has to train their own canine and develop a bond with them. Hana had done it with ease since the Haimaru brothers already liked her when they met. But Tsume's was a different case.

Being born as the daughter of the clan leader, she was given the privilege to pick a canine rather than her father picking for her; that was her gift on her tenth birthday.

She picked the wild Kuromaru, a wolf cub (don't think it's a tiny and cute cub! Remember; mega-growth serums. Wolf cubs were the size of regular dogs) who caused deaths to many lone travelers. Though it had been a threat, they never captured or disturbed Kuromaru and let it run free on the Inuzuka lands.

Tsume's father had forbidden her from having Kuromaru but Tsume, being the stubborn girl she is, threw a big fit. Her father refused to let her choose her own canine and said he would choose for her, just like the traditions said he should.

Tsume snuck out and fought Kuromaru in the mountains. She was injured greatly but so was Kuromaru. The two fought and fought but Tsume never gave up. Soon, grizzly bear had been disturbed by Tsume and Kuromaru and had attacked them. Kuromaru had lost his eye because of the grizzly bear and couldn't fight. Tsume had protected Kuromaru and had taken down the grizzly bear with a sharp rock.

Tsume had passed out from exhaustion. It was Kuromaru who carried her back to her home and in the end, he decided to stay as her canine.

Great story right? Hana and I never get tired from hearing it. It was Tsume's mom, Hana's grandmother, who would tell us the story when we were little. She passed away when we started middle school. Condolence . . .

Kuromaru gave a gruff bark as if he was saying _'Don't expect me to pounce on them and lick them.'_ Hana laughed, "Good seeing you too, Kuromaru."

He gave another gruff bark and lazily went back into the house. I couldn't help but think that Kuromaru's behavior was like Pein's. I suddenly had a wild image of Pein as a dog and I burst out laughing.

Hana tilted her head, "What's wrong?"

I shook my head and grinned, "I just had a wild image in my head. Let's go inside!"

Hana nodded, "Right." And so we did; we dragged out luggage behind us and ran into the house. The Haimaru brothers barked and came running after us and Tsume sighed as she walked (not ran, unlike us) behind them.

**Me: Hope my explanations went well. I just had to pour my thoughts out in this chappie. It's like . . . a key to unlocking the main story plot. Not even a key; more like a clue to the key!**

**Hana: Psy-chan, what was the voice that Konan-chan heard?**

**Chicky and Konan: Yeah what was it?**

**Me: -grins- Well . . . it's actually-**

**Tobi: NO! NO! NO! NO! NO SPOILERS! **

**Me: -sighs- Tobi's right. You guys will have to read and find out. **

**Tobi: Tobi's a good boy! –Gets hit on the head by Chicky and Konan-**

**Me: Uh . . . So read and review dattebayo!**

**Naruto (pops out of nowhere): I'm famous –tears of joy-**

**Me: Yes you are! –Hugs Naruto-**


	14. Chapter 14

**[Me and Chicky in the park]**

**Me: So here's the 14****th**** chapter. By the way, if you're wondering where Tobi is, he's at home. He's ill. Deidara's taking care of him.**

**Chicky: He doesn't seem happy about it.**

**Me:-suddenly sees a dango stand- DANGO! –Runs towards it-**

**Chicky:-sweat drop-**

**CHAPTER 14**

I sighed happily as I set the can of coke down on the table. We were in the living room drinking some coke and apple juice (Hana being very cautious with what she drinks) since Tsume told us to settle down and that we should rest up a bit before we went bananas around the house.

The living room was white in color with brown sofas, a T.V, a book shelf, a fireplace with a picture of Tsume and Kuromaru over it, a red carpet and a glass table in the middle which was full of video tapes.

I picked up one of the tapes, "Tsume-san, what are these?"

Tsume smirked, "Those are some old tapes of my high school days but most of them are of you, Hana and Kiba when you guys were little."

I smiled; Tsume-san never excluded me. She never treated me like a foster child but rather she treated me like her own. I was very grateful for that.

Hana set her apple juice down, "Can we watch them?"

Tsume grinned, "Sure but don't you want to see your room first?"

"YES!" Hana and I exclaimed happily.

Tsume laughed, "Let's go."

The staircase seemed very long (though it wasn't) as we walked up the stairs. At the top of the stairs was a small white corridor with two red doors on each side. At the far end was a small balcony where some honeysuckle vines grew on the railing.

I grinned, "Tsume-san, when did you start gardening?"

Tsume scratched her cheek, "I got bored around the house so I picked up a new hobby."

Hana giggled, "I can't imagine you nurturing those flowers mom."

Tsume looked away, "I grew them myself! Is that hard to believe?"

"Yes." Hana and I said in union.

Tsume blushed, "Do you want to see your room or not?!"

Hana and I snickered quietly as we followed Tsume. The first door on the right had a 'danger' sign on it. I guess that must be Kiba's room. Tsume opened the door right after it and moved out of the way for us to see. When Hana and I saw our room, we gasped.

It was a pale yellow in color and it had a two-storied bed with white pillows and purple sheets. There was a book shelf full of books and some of our old toys were on it too. There were two beanbag chairs, one red and one blue, next to the window, which had purple curtains. Our room also had a stereo, a computer and a cozy little mattress in the corner which was full of pillows and our old soft toys.

"I was cleaning out the basement and found some old stuff," said Tsume. "Do you like it?"

"It's awesome!" We yelled and we ran in immediately like a bunch of kids at the gate to Disney Land. I sat myself down on the blue beanbag chair and Hana joined me on the red one. I looked out the window to see that we had a flower box full of daffodils.

"That mattress in the corner is for the Haimaru brothers," said Tsume. "Hope you don't mind."

"Of course not!" I beamed. It would be fun having three dogs in the room with us.

Hana smiled, "Mom, this is amazing. You've really worked hard."

Tsume laughed, "Well this place was gloomy without you two so I decided to do a bit of cleaning and redecorating to make our home more alive."

"Mom it's only a week." said Hana. I threw her a look. She bit her lip; I guess she regretted what she said.

Tsume looked sad, "Yeah but I thought you would like it anyways."

"Mom, I'm sorry! I didn't mean-" Hana started to say.

"No it's okay." said Tsume. "Besides, this isn't going to waste. After you're done with college, you can use it if you come and live with me. Also, the road from Konoha to Ame is much better compared to before. You could use it when you come over for the holidays?"

"Right!" Hana and I replied with a smile.

"You might have to keep your clothes in your luggage itself," said Tsume. "I asked for new cupboards but they're still not done."

"No problem. Anyways, you did awesome," I told her. I got up and rushed up the ladder of our bed. "I'm taking the top bunker."

Hana stood up and pouted, "No fair! I want the top bunker."

I stuck my tongue out at her, "I was here first! Better luck next time Hana-chan!"

Hana puffed her cheeks and slumped back down on her beanbag chair. She then sighed and smiled, "I wish this was our dorm back in college."

I nodded in agreement, "I know! I won't mind staying in college if it were true."

Hana stood up and went over to a door which I did not notice. She opened it and smiled, "The bathroom's still the same although the shower curtains are new. And it is much cleaner."

I climbed down and went to look at our bathroom. It had a shower, a clean white sink and toilet and like Hana said, the shower curtains seemed new. They were lavender in color with tiny yellow stars on them. There was a window on the far end and I went to check it out. This window had a flower box full of red poppies.

There was a white cabinet next to the mirror above the sink and I opened it. Tsume must have gone shopping for our arrival because the whole cabinet was full of bath gels, fruity soaps, shampoos and conditioners; the kind I use and the kind Hana used.

"Tsume-san you shouldn't have brought new stuff for us." I called out.

"No worries," Tsume replied. "You could take them back to college too. Also, I don't have tampons; you should buy some later."

"Okay thanks!" Hana and I said together.

Hana then squealed and rushed to the shelf. She picked up a small brown-haired doll, wearing a pink dress, and held it close, "Yuki! Oh, I thought I lost you ages ago!"

"It's not normal for you to lose stuff," I teased her as I followed her out of the bathroom. I noticed something green on the shelf and immediately recognized it. I rushed over and grabbed it. "No way! My Green Lantern action figure; I thought it was stolen!"

Hana scoffed, "Who would steal that?" I stuck my tongue out at her and cradled it in my arms. I also noticed my other Justice League action figures were there too. I saw my Hulk action figure and grabbed that too.

"Kiba took your Superman and Wonder Woman figurines," said Tsume. "If you want them back, they're in his room."

I shook my head, "Nah, he can keep them. As long as I have my Green Lantern and Hulk, I'm fine. But why'd he take Wonder Woman?"

Tsume shrugged, "Beats me. I guess he has a thing for chicks in leotards carrying whips and wearing fancy bracelets."

"Ne," Hana said to me. "Can I keep your Batman and Flash dolls?" She held up two action figures; one of Flash and the other of Batman.

"They're action figures," I told her. I put my hands on my hips. "Wait a minute, how do you know their names? I thought you didn't like Justice League."

Hana blushed, "I got bored and read your Justice League comics. They're not half bad."

"Not half bad?" I prompted.

Hana sighed, "Fine! They were good okay? So . . . can I have them?"

I grinned, "Sure. And who knows? I might read those Twilight books out of boredom too."

"You really should," Hana beamed. "But I urge you to read the Hunger Games first. It is mind-blowing! Oh how I love a good book!"

I sweat dropped, "You're being melodramatic again."

"Am not!" Hana exclaimed.

"Well it's about time to pick up Kiba; actually, he should be home by now. I wonder what's up." said Tsume, as she pointed to a digital clock, above the door, which were blinking the numbers 03:45 in red.

"I did not see that clock." Hana said with a smile.

Tsume chuckled, "I got a digital clock since Konan gets confused with the hands of the clock."

I grinned, "Thank you for being so thoughtful."

"So you girls ready to go?" Tsume asked. We didn't answer; we just ran out the door and headed for the van.

"So this is Konoha High." I said out loud.

The place was about as big as the college in Ame. Well . . . not as big but about half of Ame College's size and trust me; our college is huge!

The buildings were white in color and bushes of pink and white roses grew all around, making the whole place smell fresh. The compound was clean and empty.

"Where is everybody?" asked Hana.

Tsume groaned, "Gai must be keeping them back for some _youthful_ game or something. Geez that annoying guy . . ." I noticed that she stressed on the word youth. This guy must be really young.

"Well, we must be early then. Change in the timing maybe . . ." said Hana. We then heard a lot of cheering and screaming around the back of the school.

"No way!" said Tsume. "This is when school's usually over but I guess Gai's making them stay back till the game's finished. Also, judging from the cheering we heard, the game must be going on."

I grinned, "Let's check it out!"

Hana nodded, "Kiba might be playing."

"Yeah, and I have to talk with Gai." Tsume said as she cracked her knuckles. I just hope she wouldn't do anything rash. But then again, she's Tsume.

There was a big basketball court at the back and it was below a very long and large flight of stairs. You know McKinley High's basketball court? Yes, I'm talking about Glee. Well this basketball court was kinda like that but the area seemed to be larger. Also it was outdoors.

I could see the boys play basketball. The cheerleaders, who were wearing very short clothing, were screaming their heart out to the guys while others sat on the stairs and watched the game.

Kiba was playing too; damn he played well too. I watched him prevent his opponents from scoring a basket; he was a good defender. Wait. Defender . . . hmm . . . is that a football term or a basketball term? Gah, forget it!

I noticed some other familiar faces too; Sasuke, Gaara, Neji and Naruto. I saw Shikamaru too but he wasn't doing much. Okay so after analyzing (I don't analyze usually but I guess my eyes just picked the info up) I knew who was on who's team. Naruto, Shikamaru, Kiba, a pale looking guy and one weird guy with a bowl-shaped haircut and fuzzy eyebrows were one team and Sasuke, Gaara, Neji and a white-haired guy and an orange haired guy were one team.

I could see the guys had as many fan girls as their brothers did in college because I could hear the cheerleaders scream, "SASUKE-KUN!" or "NEJI-SENPAI!" or "GAARA-SAMA!" and so on. Nuff said.

I could see Tsume impatiently tapping her foot and her left eye was twitching. She was waiting for the game to end but apparently, it wasn't. She sighed out loud when it finally ended. Sasuke's team had won and the fan girls went mad.

The teacher, whom we thought was youthful, had the same weird bowl shaped haircut and really fuzzy eyebrows; even fuzzier than the guy on Naruto's team. Yikes! He was wearing a green tracksuit and when he gave a toothy grin, it blinded my eyes; no, seriously it did!

"Well done my students," he said. "I, Maito Gai, your gym teacher, am very proud of you. Now the losing team has to do 100 pushups!" Groans of complains were heard.

The kid with the bowl shaped haircut stepped forward, "Gai-sensei, I promise to work even harder to win next time!"

Gai-sensei started to cry, "Oh, Lee!"

Now, the kid, Lee, started to cry, "Gai-sensei!" Was it just me or did a sunset appear in the background?

"Lee!"

"Gai-sensei!"

"Lee!" Okay this was getting weird.

"Eh?" said Hana, as she was clearly confused. So was I.

Gai-sensei raised his fist in the air as if he was determined to do something, "Yosh! In the light of Lee's youthful speech, everybody get down here and do pushups!"

A loud and sharp noise, a whistle, sounded right next to us; that got everyone's attention. Apparently, no one knew of our presence. Now, they were all looking at us.

"Mom . . ." I heard Kiba say. His eyes widened when he saw me and Hana. "Sissy? Konan?" I just gave a sheepish grin and waved.

Tsume glared at Gai-sensei as she shoved the whistle back into her pocket, "Sheesh Gai, do you have only today to carry out your _youthful_ games?!"

Gai-sensei grinned, "Ah Tsume, but you should never hesitate to let the power of youth flow!"

Tsume put her face in her palm, "God . . . well at least . . . no more pushups for these kids."

"No can do! They have to pump the power of youth throughout their body!" Gai-sensei exclaimed. More groans erupted from the students.

"But," Hana started to say. "Their power of youth will decrease if they keep it up like that."

Everyone was now looking at Hana. Gai-sensei raised his eyebrow, "What do you mean youthful maiden?"

Hana blushed, "Well . . . the power of youth is like . . . a fire. And . . . sweat is water. If you make them exercise too much, their sweats will . . . extinguish the fire of youth within them!" She nudged my arm.

"Yeah," I said slowly. "They will never be youthful again and . . . that would be bad?"

Gai-sensei seemed to consider this. He ran up to us and slung each arm around mine and Hana's shoulders. He gave us one of his flashy grins, "You two are absolutely right! Students go home and rest! Be prepared for another youthful day tomorrow!"

Everyone cheered and rushed out of the basketball court. Some even thanked us quietly. The only ones left in the court were Tsume, me, Hana, some fan girls and the basketball players.

Gai-sensei gave two thumbs up and a toothy grin before he left the court as well. Kiba came running towards us and he hugged Hana and me. He looked at Tsume, "You didn't tell me they were coming today!"

Tsume shrugged, "If you did, you wouldn't have come to school today! You'd just be a pain in the ass."

Kiba pouted, "That's not true!"

"Great game." I told Kiba.

Kiba grinned, "Thanks . . . although we lost. By the way, I didn't know you were so familiar with the 'Power of Youth.'"

"Shut up." Hana and I said in union.

Tsume simply chuckled, "I'm going to turn the Van around." And after saying that, she left. We then went to where Sasuke, Naruto and Neji were.

I flicked Sasuke's forehead and he glared at me, "Do you have to do that?"

I grinned, "Like I said, I want you as my brother."

Sasuke looked away, "Well, I would have died by now if I had a sister like you."

I pouted, "Don't be mean." I flicked his forehead one more time.

A blur of red suddenly tackled Sasuke and attached itself to his arm. Hana had an expression of shock and I'm guessing my face looked the same too. The blur of red was a mini version of Aiko. She had the same red hair, same red eyes behind a pair of small black round glasses and apparently the same slutty behavior.

"Sasuke!" She purred. The look on Sasuke's face was not new; I'd seen it many times on the Akatsuki (except Tobi since he has the mask) and I knew it meant annoyance.

"It's a mini-Aiko!" Hana suddenly said.

At the mentioning of Aiko's name, the mini-Aiko turned to Hana and glared, "I'm not Aiko. I'm her sister, Karin!"

"Oh." Hana and I said in union.

Karin curled her lip with disgust at Hana, "I know you; you're that Hana girl that my sister mentioned. I hear you're a dumb nerd trying to steal her boyfriend!"

Hana rolled her eyes, "Please! She doesn't have a boyfriend!"

"She's dating Sasuke's brother!" Karin said tightening her grip on Sasuke's arm. Sasuke took his arm back but she grabbed onto it again.

I laughed, "No he's not. He's way out of her league."

Karin scrunched up her nose at me, "Aiko told me about you too; you're just a no good slut who's messing with the Akatsuki!"

"Excuse me?!" I yelled as I stepped forward. Naruto and Neji held me back.

"I don't think it's wise to pick a fight with high school girls," said Kiba. He then looked at Karin. "Karin, just go home."

"Oh you care so much about me Kiba-kun!" She said girlishly. She then blew a kiss to Kiba who shivered; I doubt it was from the cold.

She then tried to kiss Sasuke who pulled away. She gave flirty goodbyes to Naruto and Neji and started to walk away. She then stopped and turned to look at Hana, "Aiko will deal with you; I have another nerd I have to handle here." She then clicked her tongue and left.

Naruto sighed, "That is one crazy chick, believe it!"

Neji shook his head, "At least Sasuke's number one on her list." This earned him a glare from the Uchiha but he simply smirked in response. The rest of the basketball players came over to us.

Kiba introduced us to the basketball players. The white haired guy's name was Suigetsu, the orange haired guy was Jugo, the bushy browed kid was Rock Lee and the pale guy was Sai.

Sai gave Hana a new nickname; Flower. Hana was happy with it. But the nickname he gave me, which was Kitty, didn't quite suite me. Do I really act like a cat? Maybe the guy is just trying to be friendly so like Hana says, always be grateful.

"What did that girl mean by 'another nerd?'" asked Hana.

"Huh?" said Suigetsu, clearly confused.

"Karin," said Neji. "Just came here to show off and attack Sasuke again."

Shikamaru sighed and gave a lazy smirk, "Troublesome. She still isn't happy about the fact that Sasuke has the hots for someone else."

I grinned and poked his cheeks, "You have a girlfriend? How cute! Who is she?" Sasuke looked away, although I could feel some heat rise to his cheeks.

"Not exactly a girlfriend," said Jugo. "Kinda like a crush. She's nice."

"I don't have a crush!" Sasuke said sharply.

"That's so cute! You're blushing." I teased.

Gaara crossed his arms, "I still don't trust you with her."

"I would love to meet her." Hana said politely.

"You should," said Kiba. "She's just like you! I have a feeling you two will be best buddies."

I pouted, "Hey, I'm her best buddy."

"Must you always be so animated?" said a smooth voice. The voice startled me so I jumped. A hand caught me by the arm and I turned to my side. There was Pein, with one arm extended to hold me and the other shoved in his pocket.

**Me: -mouth full of dango- mnmm thmthsm mthtm! **

**Chicky: She means 'And that's that.' **

**Me: -swallows- Tee hee. Hope it was good. Read and review folks!**


	15. Chapter 15

**[Me, Tobi, Deidara and Chicky camping near a lake]**

**Tobi: ACHOO!**

**Deidara: Use a tissue, un. –Shoves a tissue in his face-**

**Tobi: Thanks –starts to take off mask-**

**Chicky and Deidara: -Watches eagerly-**

**Me: HEY GUYS! –Startles Deidara and Chicky- So first off, I need to ask a big favor! I would be obliged if you could read the fanfiction 'Summer Breeze'. It's up; check it out on my story list. It's by a friend of mine and I really need some reviews (he's restless you see.) Arigatou! ENJOY THE 15****th**** CHAPTER! DEIDEI-CHAN, GO GET SOME FISH!**

**Tobi:-readjusting his mask- Much better.**

**Chicky: Damn . . .**

**Deidara:-grumbles as he grabs the fishing pole-**

**CHAPTER 15**

Two options: one, I was hallucinating and two, Pein was really there. I really hoped it was option one but apparently, it wasn't. Pein was really there standing next to me.

"W-where did you come from?!" I managed to say.

"Ame." He said flatly. I twitched; that arrogant bastard!

"Hey! Na-" Naruto started to say but Pein glared at him and made him shut his mouth. He them grinned. "Hey Nii-san!"

Pein let go of my arm, "Naruto, get your stuff; we're leaving."

"Right." Naruto said as he walked away to get his stuff but not before he threw me and Pein a weird look. I wonder what he was about to call Pein that made him glare at the kid. Maybe it was an old nickname . . .

Anyways, Pein started to leave. He turned back to look at me. He then patted my head, "See ya around." With that he left. Naruto waved at us and went running after Pein, telling him to wait up. Great; this meant I would be seeing Pein around Konoha. Sheesh . . . and that gesture . . . so unexpected!

I stomped my foot, "That jerk! Thinks he's so cool . . ."

Sasuke smirked, "Who's blushing now?"

"I'm not blushing." I said childishly.

Hana laughed, "Actually you are." I placed my hands on my cheeks and realized they were as hot as a fire. The realization made me even redder.

"I-it's just the heat of the sun," I said lamely. "The weather must be having an effect on me. Yeah."

"Whatever you say." Kiba said sneakily. He and Suigetsu then whispered something to each other and snickered. I knew that whatever they were talking about would not be pretty for me.

I heard Tsume yell at us to hurry up. We said our goodbyes and headed back to the van. I could hear the song 'Rock and Roll Damnation' blast out of the car stereo. As we were about to climb in, a blur of white tackled Kiba; it was Kiba's canine, Akamaru.

Besides his name, meaning 'red', Akamaru was a huge white dog (mega growth serums) and he and Kiba were best of buddies. He had gone big like Hana's Haimaru brothers as well.

Kiba laughed, "Of course I wasn't going to leave you!" Akamaru gave a bark in response.

I scratched him behind the ears, "He's allowed in school?"

"Nah," said Kiba. "But he's a stubborn dog so he follows me to school. He hangs out around the campus when I have class and spends time with me during the intervals."

"Don't the teachers say anything?" asked Hana, as she produced a treat from her bag and tossed it to Akamaru, who ate it happily.

Kiba rubbed the back of his head, "Well the teachers got mad at first and I got a lot of detention time too. But soon they were okay with it since Akamaru refused to leave. Plus, he never bothers anyone."

"Are you all just gonna stand there or are you gonna get in?" said Tsume. Akamaru climbed into the back with me and Kiba and Hana rode in the front with Tsume.

I turned to Kiba, who was sitting in the back with me, "Hey, don't you guys have a uniform?"

Kiba nodded, "Yeah we do but we had the game today remember? My uniform's in here." He patted his gym bag which was next to him. I noticed his gym uniform consisted of a pale green t-shirt with the Konoha symbol on the shoulders and green shorts.

Hana smiled, "Ne Konan-chan, it would be nice to be all dressed up in a uniform like we did back in Ame High right?"

I nodded, "Yeah. But casual suits me better; you remember how many times I got into trouble for 'not dressing up properly.'" Hana and I laughed at the memory.

"Tsume-san, can we do some exploring of Konoha after changing?" I asked.

"Yeah," Hana beamed. "It's been a long time since I've been here and also Konan-chan is here for the first time!"

"That sounds like a good plan," said Tsume. "But first, change out of that sweater Hana; it's hideous."

"No way!" said Hana.

"She's right you know?" Kiba said with a shrug.

"Three against one," I said with a grin. Akamaru gave a bark. "Make that four. You have to change out of it."

Hana huffed, "Fine!"

"I won't spoil the fun," said Tsume. "You girls go right ahead with your exploring but don't stay out too late."

"Wait," said Kiba. "Don't they have to rest up?"

Tsume laughed, "What kind of a mother would I be to lock up my girls when they're really excited to explore?! They're here on vacation; they will have plenty of time to 'rest up.'" Tsume was the coolest!

Hana giggled, "Konan-chan, you must be happy that Pein-san will be around here."

"Pein?" said Tsume. "He your boyfriend?"

"No!" I exclaimed.

"I can hook you guys up; I know his brother." Kiba said mischievously.

I groaned, "Zip it!"

When we reached back home, I changed out of my black long sleeved shirt and put on a yellow t-shirt instead. I grabbed my bag and put in some stuff; my purse, my camera, my phone, my iPod, some strawberry flavored gum and a red jacket, just in case it got cold.

Hana had changed into a beige overcoat with a white shirt and brown skirt underneath. She looked much better and I don't know if it was my imagination or not but I think Hana looked relieved when she looked at herself in the bathroom mirror. Maybe she thought the sweater was hideous but wore it anyway; sweet little Hana.

I leaned on the door frame, "Ready?"

Hana fixed her ponytail and grabbed her bag, "Yup. Let's go."

We weren't going to use the Van. Instead, we decided to go walking. It was much more fun this way. As we walked into the main city, I noticed that the streets were full of life. There seemed to be a gathering of some sort in the heart of the town.

Hana asked the nearby people what it was all about and they told us it was the annual food festival. I could smell different kinds of food and it made my mouth water. I could hear music being played too.

Hana grabbed my arm, "Let's eat." I didn't argue; we dashed into the crowd and made our way towards different food stands. The food was delicious and I could never get enough.

"Let's check out the ramen stall!" Hana said but it sounded funny since she had a buttered corncob in her mouth. I snickered and nodded.

The delicious smell of Miso Ramen invaded my nose and I sat myself down on one of the chairs. There were many people at this stall; the food must be great here. Hana took the seat next to me.

"Hey . . . uh Konan . . . and Hana right?" said a voice next to me.

I turned to see Naruto giving me a toothy grin. He had changed out of his gym clothes and now he was wearing a black and orange jacket, black skinny jeans and black sneakers. I also noticed he was wearing a necklace that had a thin, long, green diamond hanging in the middle with a tiny white bead on either side.

I grinned back, "Hey Naruto."

Hana smiled, "Hi."

"You here for the food festival?" he asked.

"We were in the neighborhood so we wanted to check it out." replied Hana.

"Well you better eat the Miso Ramen here. Ichiraku Ramen is the most delicious!" Naruto said as he drank up the soup in his bowl. I noticed four empty stacked bowls next to him; the kid must love ramen.

"You here for the food festival too?" asked Hana.

Naruto grinned sheepishly, "I was here for the ramen and . . . I have a date today!"

I nudged him playfully, "Ooh! Who's the lucky girl?"

Naruto blushed, "She isn't here yet."

Hana stood up with two cup noodles in her hands; whoa, I didn't even hear her order. She smiled, "Well we shouldn't be disturbing you. Besides, we have more stalls to check out. Have fun Naruto and good luck."

"Thanks!" Naruto said to us. As we started to leave, I saw a pretty girl with long indigo hair and lilac eyes wearing a lavender sundress approach him shyly. I smirked; Naruto's date was cute.

Hana handed me one cup noodle, "Eat up; it's ready."

I thanked her and took the cup from her hands. It was really warm and the aroma was making me salivate. I started to dig in as I walked. Naruto was right; the ramen was Delicious with a capital D! I think Hana agrees too since her facial expression changed to delight as she ate the ramen.

We roamed around until we checked out all of the food stalls. Hana looked at me, "Wanna go shopping?"

"Let's go!" I said with a grin.

We headed for the mall next. It was huge with elevators and escalators going up and down. There were several shops which were now light up beautifully. Hana clasped her hands, "It's huge. Oh, let's go check out that store!"

And so we did. We ended up buying a lot of things from different shops; I got a phone cover, a couple of studs, rubber bands, M&M chocolates (a huge stash of them!), a couple of t-shirts and a bracelet which had raindrop pendants on them.

Hana had bought two pairs of black hair clips, stickers, long socks, rubber bands, glitter pens, a silver diary and a keychain of a dog bone. Actually, Hana bought a hell lot of key chains! As we walked around the mall, I remembered I had to buy some tampons; my due date was coming up.

"I gotta go buy some tampons." I told Hana quietly.

Hana nodded, "I'll be waiting in the gift store." I used the elevator to go to the pharmacy which was on the sixth floor. After I was done, I pressed the elevator button again but when the doors opened, I wasn't alone.

Pein gave me a lazy look. He was in the elevator too, listening to something on his iPod. I nodded to him and climbed into the elevator. The ride seemed so long. The silence was so thick that I bet you could cut it with a knife.

Suddenly, the elevator stopped moving; the power had died. Crap, why did this have to happen?! Pein pushed some of the buttons on the elevator and frowned. I desperately tried to get the doors open by pushing all the buttons but it was no use.

"The power will come back soon," Pein muttered. He sighed. "Until then, I'll have to bear it in here with you. Whatever you do, don't fart."

I blushed, "Shut up!" The nerve of that guy!

He leaned against the elevator wall. I wonder how he was so calm about this. But this was getting more awkward by the minute. I mean come on; a girl and a boy. Alone. In the dark. In an elevator . . .

I shook my head vigorously; I can't think pervy thoughts like that in this kind of situation! Besides, Pein wasn't that kind of guy. He had his eyes closed as he listened to the music that was playing on his iPod. He had a calm and relaxed composure.

Unlike me; sweating like a pig, due to lack of space, carrying a box of tampons like an idiot. I'm not claustrophobic but being in here alone with Pein was the making me feel suffocated. I cleared my throat and sat myself down on the elevator floor. I watched Pein carefully . . . nope; definitely not that kind of guy. But then again . . .

He opened his eyes and those alluring purple eyes met mine, "Stop looking at me like that. It's not like I'll rape you or something."

Damn mind reader! I blushed and looked away, "I wasn't looking at you."

Another silence followed. This was really awkward. Then, after God knows how long, Pein spoke to me, "Stop that. It's annoying."

"Stop what?" I asked him.

He pointed to my hands. I hadn't even realized I was playing with the box of tampons in my hand, making noises with them by shaking the box. I blushed red. Damn it! He had to see my tampons. That's my own silly mistake.

Suddenly the power came back on and we slowly descended downwards. We both exhaled a sigh of relief at the same time. I looked at Pein. He simply turned away from me. When we reached the ground floor, the doors opened and Hana was waiting with a worried expression.

"Konan-chan, you okay?" she exclaimed. She then saw Pein. "Oh, Pein-san?"

Pein simply nodded and left without a word. Damn; I was so gonna get teased for this. I grinned sheepishly at Hana, "Enough for today eh?"

xxx

I groaned and hid myself under the blankets, "Shut up."

"Come on," Hana whined. "Tell me what happened!"

"I told you," I mumbled. "We didn't do anything."

"You mean you guys didn't-" Hana started to say.

"NO!" I cut her off. "No we didn't. It was just a really awkward moment. Leave it at that."

Hana huffed and climbed into her bed. She wished me goodnight and soon she fell asleep. I was still awake; I was thinking about that voice in my head. I must have been hallucinating but . . . why did it seem so . . . real?

I groaned and buried my head deeper into the pillow; all this thinking made my head hurt. Maybe it was just an illusion or something. I sighed snuggled into the blankets. Before I knew it, I was asleep.

**Me:-carrying a bowl of soup- LOL awkward PeinKonan moment. Please review 'Summer Breeze' mm kay? Hope you liked it. I'm working on the next few chapters for Flower in the Rain so stay tuned.**

**Tobi: ACHOO! Excuse me . . .**

**Me: Awww! Tobi's sick! Have some soup sweetie.**

**Chicky: FISH IS READY!**

**Deidara:-munching on his share of fish- Read and Review, un.**


	16. Chapter 16

**[Me, Itachi and Sasori in my room playing Plants vs. Zombies]**

**Me: Hey guys! Chicky's gone; she's taking Tobi to the hospital. Deidara's driving them. I just hope he doesn't blow anyone up.**

**Sasori: Die Zombie!**

**Me:-coughs- So yeah, here's the 16****th**** chappie. SASORI-KUN! THE ZOMBIES ARE EATING YOUR SUNFLOWERS!**

**Itachi:-sweat drop-**

**Sasori: Repeaters, ATTACK!**

**CHAPTER 16**

I really missed Tsume's cooking. She had prepared bacon and eggs for breakfast and she made mine extra crispy, just the way I liked it. Tsume also made Hana's favorite breakfast; peanut butter sandwiches.

I placed my now half glass of lemon juice and sighed, "God, I love the way you make bacon and eggs, Tsume-san!"

Tsume grinned, "Well then be sure to get seconds."

Just then, Kiba ran into the kitchen while trying to tie his tie and at the same time, he was munching on a piece of toast. Kiba's uniform consisted of a white shirt with the Konoha symbol on the shoulders, a red tie and black pants.

I grinned, "You look different."

He grinned back, "Thanks." It sounded funny since his mouth was full of toast.

Hana shook her head, "Don't talk with your mouth full, Kiba."

"Shut up." Kiba muttered, earning himself a glare from his sister. Kiba then said goodbye and rushed out the door.

I burped, "Heh! Hana, the kid's in a hurry; let him be."

Hana sighed, "Your manners are even worse!"

I stuck my tongue out at her, "That's because I'm awesome and you're a goody two shoes." I grabbed my lemon juice and started to drink it down. Hana suddenly pushed my glass and I ended up being drenched in lemon juice.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Hana said with a gasp. It would have sounded genuine if she wasn't giving me an evil smirk.

Yeah well I don't go down without a fight. I spat out the lemon juice, which was in my mouth, onto Hana's lap. She yelped and stood up. I smiled innocently at her when she threw me a look.

We then started to laugh uncontrollably as we rushed to the bathroom. Unluckily, I was wearing a white tank top and Hana was wearing a white skirt so the liquid was seeping through our clothes, making them sticky and see-through.

Hana laughed and shook her head, "You're impossible."

I snickered, "You can be quite surprising sometimes too!"

We washed ourselves up and changed into new clothes. I put on a pale yellow t-shirt with the slogan 'You have the right to remain silent!' with a red cardigan over it and jeans with red converse. My hair was in its usual ponytail with my origami in place and today, I wore a stud which had a picture of a smiley.

Hana put on a cream-colored shirt with a black sweater over it and she wore a khaki skirt and black flats. Her hair was in a loose bun and she had her glasses in place, squeaky clean.

Tsume walked into our room. Today, she was wearing a black 'GAP' hoodie with a ratty jean half pant and boots which came up till her knees. She also wore a silver chain and black gloves. Her hair was wild as usual and her lipstick was of a lighter shade of purple.

She leaned on the door, "So, what's your agenda for the day girls?"

Hana and I looked at each other. Hana looked back at Tsume, "I don't know. Nothing I guess. We checked out many places in town yesterday so . . . yeah."

Tsume nodded, "In that case, you guys can do a favor for me."

I shrugged and grinned, "Sure. We're jobless anyway." Hana nodded in agreement.

"Okay," said Tsume. "I need you girls to go down town and deliver a package to a friend of mine. She wanted to meet you two anyways."

"Who is it?" Hana asked with curiosity in her voice.

Tsume chuckled, "You'll see. You might meet your friends too." Before we could ask what she was talking about, she walked out of the room.

Hana sighed and stretched her arms, "Let's go."

I nodded. Hana walked ahead as I followed her. As I did, I couldn't help but notice, through my window, a cherry blossom tree blooming in the distance. I stopped to look at it. A cherry blossom huh? I closed my eyes and I felt a warm and tingly feeling inside.

I didn't understand what it was. It was like a picture which wasn't clear. All I could make out from it was the cherry blossom tree. I didn't know how or why but suddenly, I felt warm and peaceful.

"Konan-chan!" Hana's voice called out from the hallway. I snapped back to reality. I shook my head; I have no idea what that sudden tingly feeling was and where it came from. I wouldn't mind feeling it again but right now, I had to go and become a temporary delivery girl.

I followed Hana down the stairs. At the bottom, Tsume was waiting with two huge carton boxes. She patted them, "You can take the van. I'd go myself but I have some urgent work I have to do."

Hana shook her head, "Nah don't worry about it mom. We'll handle it."

"You go do your work." I told her with a grin.

Tsume grinned, "Thanks sweeties. Tell you what; how about we go to Ichiraku's for some ramen tonight?"

"Totally!" Hana and I beamed at the same time.

Tsume chuckled and handed Hana the van keys. I pouted, "How come you never taught me how to drive?"

Tsume grinned sheepishly, "Sorry darling . . . maybe next time, okay?" I huffed and walked out the door. The weather was perfect; the sun shone brightly but it wasn't that hot for the day to be considered scorching.

I sighed happily and spread my arms out, "Hana isn't this day perfect? There isn't a cloud in the sky!"

"Uh actually, there's one behind you." Hana said with a giggle. I turned to look behind me. Indeed, there was a big fat cloud right above our roof.

I stuck my tongue at it, "Better not bring any rain today, cloud!"

Hana laughed at my actions, "Get in already."

After we put the packages in the back, I climbed in front and Hana climbed into the driver's seat. She fastened her seatbelt. She then handed me a piece of paper, "That's the address we're supposed to deliver the packages."

I read the paper; the address was somewhere isolated from the town but not that far. That's when I noticed something else on the paper.

I frowned, "Where have I seen this symbol?" I tried to search my mind for a red and white fan but I couldn't place my finger on it.

Hana sighed, "I've seen it too . . . but I can't remember where."

I shrugged, "We'll just have to wait and see." I put on some music from a CD I found in the van. It was Adele's album '21.'

"Oh put on 'Rolling in the Deep.'" Hana told me. I did as I was told and I turned up the volume. At the chorus, I sang at the top of my lungs.

_**We could have had it all,  
Rolling in the Deep.  
You had my heart inside your hand.  
But you played it,  
to the beat.**_

I could never go high with my voice so it came out sort of strangled. Hana rolled her eyes, "Bravo Konan-chan; you are going to put Adele to shame."

I grinned, "Thank you! Thank you!" Hana laughed when I started to blow kisses and wave at the people outside the window.

That's when I remembered . . .

"Hana," I started to say as I turned down the volume of the stereo. "You never told me how you met Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi."

Hana turned beet red, "Umm . . . r-really?"

I raised my eyebrow at her, "Yeah, and I'd like to hear the story too."

Hana gulped, "M-maybe I could d-do it another time . . .?"

"Nope." I said stubbornly.

"I met them . . . at a camp . . . in middle school." Hana said slowly.

"Which camp?" I asked. Hana took a lot of science and study camps when we were in middle school; almost every summer. Also, Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi didn't seem like the nerdy type.

But Hana was still silent.

I sighed, "How about after we deliver these packages, we'll go to an ice cream parlor. Then we'll talk."

Hana exhaled and nodded. She looked at me apologetically, "I'm sorry Konan-chan. I haven't really told this story to anyone. It because . . . of . . . well . . . my dad."

I realized I was pushing her with a sore subject.

"I'm sorry," I said softly. "I didn't mean to push you."

Hana shook her head, "It's about time I told somebody about this instead of keeping it locked inside; especially if that somebody is my best friend. Later okay?"

I smiled, "Okay."

We arrived at our desired destination. It was a big white mansion with large glass windows and beautifully carved and polished doors, probably made from the finest wood. I could see so many sweet smelling and colorful flowers all around. There was a huge garage and I could see some fancy cars as well.

Hana gasped, "It's beautiful!"

"Yeah," I agreed. "Hard to believe Tsume-san has friends who are this elegant." Hana and I laughed as we took out the stuff from the back of the van.

I could see the same red and white fan on the mailbox as well as the door but I still couldn't put my finger on where I'd seen it. Hana rang the doorbell and a few seconds later, a beautiful woman opened the door.

She had long midnight blue hair which reached her waist and the most warm and heart-melting onyx eyes which seemed familiar. She was wearing a simple lavender long-sleeved dress with a pale yellow apron over it. I could smell something delicious from inside too.

She gave us a charming smile, "Hello. May I help you?"

"Uh hello," said Hana. "I'm Hana and this is Konan. We're here to deliver some packages for you. It's from Inuzuka Tsume."

The woman squealed, "So you two are Tsume-chan's girls then?" We nodded in response.

The woman gave us both a hug which would have seemed nice and friendly but turned out awkward since Hana and I were holding two big carton boxes.

The woman pulled away and smiled, "I'm Mikoto. Come on in! I was making some pie. Why don't you join us?"

Pie sounded lovely so we thanked her and entered the mansion. It was even more spacious inside. There was a large staircase once we stepped inside but we followed Mikoto around the back of the staircase and into the kitchen.

The kitchen was huge and squeaky clean. The tiles were white and the counter was made of polished marble. There were stools to sit on in front of the counter so it was like a mini fast food center. The white cabinets above the sink and the stove had glass knobs and there was a dining table in the center of the kitchen with six chairs and a round wooden table with a vase full of freshly cut lilies and beside it was a basket of fresh and ripe tomatoes.

Mikoto smiled at us, "You can keep those boxes on the counter. You must be tired."

I grinned, "We're fine Mikoto-san."

We took a seat at the dining table. Mikoto opened one of the boxes and beamed happily as she picked up the object in the box; it was a large jade statue of a wolf.

"Tsume-chan is too kind," Mikoto said with a smile. "I told her a small one would do but she had to send me this giant beauty."

"Do you need any help?" Hana asked.

"Yes please," said Mikoto. Hana got up and took the statue out of Mikoto's hands. "Could you put it in the living room? It's on the right from the entrance."

Hana nodded, "No problem."

"Thank you, dear!" Mikoto called out to Hana.

Mikoto then opened the other box, which was full of fancy china dishes, and started to put them away in the cabinets.

"I'll help." I told her as I started to put away the tea cups into the cabinets. Mikoto smiled at me, "Thank you Konan-chan."

Hana came back by the time all the stuff was put away. Hana sat back down at the dining table, "I love your bookshelf Mikoto-san; it has so many books!"

Mikoto laughed, "Well I do love a good book. You could borrow some if you wish; we'll visit my library later."

"I'd love to!" Hana beamed. "Thank you."

Mikoto placed her hands on the table and looked at us, "So you are Konan and Hana. Tsume-chan told me so much about you two."

"Uh, did she tell you good things or bad things?" I asked sheepishly.

Mikoto grinned, "Well she told me a lot but I don't know whether if they're good or bad. To me, they all sounded good."

I sighed, "That's a relief."

Mikoto laughed, "You're just as Tsume-chan described; wild and bubbly."

I gave a peace sign, "That's me."

Mikoto then looked at Hana and tilted her head, "I don't get it; Tsume-chan told me you weren't very popular with guys . . . but you're very pretty."

Hana blushed, "Thank you."

"Hana currently has two really hot guys crushing on her." I whispered loudly to Mikoto, so that Hana could hear.

"I do not!" Hana exclaimed.

Mikoto squealed, "That is too cute. Oh, Tsume-chan told me you knew my boys. Are you close with-"

"Tobi smells apple pie!" yelled a voice behind us.

Tobi was sniffing the air from the doorway. His hair was wild and untamed and he had is mask in place. He was wearing a black t-shirt and striped boxers.

"Tobi?" Hana and I said at the same time.

Tobi looked at us and bounced over to hug us both, "HANA-CHAN! KONAN-SAN! GOOD MORNING!"

"Hey buddy!" I told him as I hugged him back.

"Good to see you." Hana said with a smile.

"Tobi don't yell in the kitchen, please." Mikoto said to the bouncy guy.

"Sorry Mikoto-chan," said Tobi. "Tobi's just excited to see Konan-san and Hana-chan. Can Tobi have pie now?"

Mikoto giggled, "Sure dear." On cue, the timer gave a ding, indicating that pie was ready.

Tobi cheered and went over to the oven as he sang "Pie, Pie Apple Pie!" As he did, I noticed the same red and white fan on the back of his black shirt. That's when it hit me . . .

"It's the Uchiha Family symbol." Hana and I whispered to each other at the same time. One time, Itachi had worn a similar shirt to college and he told us that it was his family's symbol.

Hana started to turn red, "That means . . ."

"Tobi stop being so loud." said a lazy voice.

We turned to see Itachi at the door, yawning. His hair was down and it was unruly, giving it a sexy look (hey, I don't like him that way but I am a woman aren't I?) and he had a navy blue piece of cloth slung over his shoulder. He was wearing black pajama pants and was shirtless.

Hana made a noise, which sounded like a mouse being stepped on, and covered her eyes immediately. Although she did so, I could see the tips of her ears turning redder by the second.

I grinned and waved at him, "Morning Itachi!"

Itachi seemed surprised to see us but composed himself and gave me a lazy grin, "Good morning."

He looked at Hana and tilted his head, "Hana, is something wrong?"

"Y-you're . . . you're n-not . . ." Hana was stuttering through her hands.

Tobi, who placed a delicious looking apple pie on the counter, took off his sky blue oven mitts and sighed, "Itachi-nii, Hana-chan is a woman. Don't go around shirtless; you'll make her feel awkward."

Itachi twitched, "Speak for yourself; you're in your boxers."

"Boys, be nice." Mikoto chided.

Itachi shook his head and put on a navy blue shirt, the one which he was carrying, and sat down next to his mother, opposite to Hana.

He pried off Hana's hands from her face; her eyes were still closed and she was so red that her Inuzuka tattoos were almost merged with her blush.

Itachi chuckled, "You can open your eyes now." Hana did and she murmured a sorry.

Mikoto squealed, "I just realized you two make such a cute couple. Hana-chan, are you by any chance going out with my Itachi?"

Hana was so red that it put the tomatoes on the table to shame, "No."

Mikoto pouted, "Oh darn!"

I leaned in to whisper in Mikoto's ear, "I have so much to tell you about them." Mikoto slowly grinned and nodded happily at me.

"What did she say?" Hana asked Mikoto.

I smiled at her, "You might faint Hana."

Hana stuck her tongue out at me and then looked at Mikoto, "Well don't listen to her Mikoto-san; she just enjoys torturing me."

"Pie!" Tobi declared. He set a plate, with a fresh slice of apple pie on it, in front of Hana and me.

"Thank you!" Hana and I beamed. The pie was amazing and I complimented Mikoto on her cooking as well. Hana, who didn't eat much sugar, seemed to enjoy the pie as much as I did.

Tobi grabbed his share of apple pie and gave us a wave, "Be right back. Tobi has to change clothes. Sorry Hana-chan."

Hana gave a smile, "No worries."

And with that, Tobi left the kitchen while humming. Such a shame; I thought I might see the guy under the mask.

I looked at Itachi, "Aren't you going eat pie? You're mom's pie rocks!"

Itachi chuckled, "I am aware of that but not right now. I'll get sick if I get something sweet first thing in the morning." He then picked up a tomato and started to munch on it.

I pouted with a mouthful of pie; the guy was just like Hana! I could see Hana giving me a smug smirk and I knew she was rubbing it in my face that there were people in the world who didn't enjoy sugar.

Hana sighed happily, "Mikoto-san, you have to give me the recipe!"

"No!" I said childishly. "She'll set the house on fire!"

"That would be you." Hana muttered.

Mikoto giggled, "I'll give you the recipe Hana-chan; don't worry."

"Thank you." Hana said with a smile. She gave me a smug smirk and this time, I stuck my tongue out at her.

"So that's what Tsume-san meant when she said 'You might meet your friends,'" I said with a grin. "She meant Itachi and Tobi."

"Are the others here?" Hana asked Itachi.

Itachi shook his head, "Only me, Tobi and Pein. Sasori will arrive today or tomorrow and Deidara said he might come here for a while; he's currently in Iwa. As for Kisame, he's in Kiri with his cousin."

"Ne Konan-chan," said Mikoto. "Do you have a boyfriend?"

I laughed, "No way!"

"Now that," said Konan. "That is a big fat hairy lie!"

I looked at her suspiciously, "What are you getting at?"

Hana leaned in towards Mikoto and whispered, "She has two hot guys salivating over her."

Mikoto squealed and clasped her hands, "Who are they?"

"Itachi-kun knows them well; let's leave it at that." Hana said mischievously.

"I do?" Itachi said, confused.

"Yes." Hana said with a smile.

Mikoto and Itachi laughed while I chased Hana around the kitchen. I tripped her with my foot and she ended up in Itachi's lap while I lost balance and ended up in Tobi's arms. Tobi, who was surprised by the sudden action, almost dropped me.

Hana was turning red again while Itachi chuckled softly and Mikoto took a picture on her phone. Tobi and I laughed; oh isn't revenge sweet?

**Me: Sorry; I wasn't very good on the mansion description. ITAHANA MOMENTS! By the way, DeiKonan and SasoHana are on their way.**

**Sasori: Psy-chan, I discovered the Yeti Zombie!**

**Me: WHERE?! LET ME SEE!**

**Itachi: Uh . . . Read and Review.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Me: HA! I forgot to mention the Lemon Juice scene in Chapter 16 was a real one. Chicky, don't you remember? I spat lemon juice on you!  
Chicky: . . . **

**Me: -pouts- Don't be that way! Besides, you started it. So in this chapter, a lot of BFF moments are there. Also, you'll know a bit about Hana-chan**

**Sasori: Am I in it?**

**Me: Not yet. You'll be there in the next chapter.**

**Sasori:-grins- okay!**

**CHAPTER 17**

The rest of the morning, we spent talking about college and random stuff with Mikoto. Tobi and I played video games too. We taught Hana and although it was her first time, she beat me and Tobi both. History had been made.

I updated Mikoto about Hana and Itachi and Sasori (Without Hana's or Itachi's notice of course) and Mikoto couldn't control her squeals and cheers of delight. She was already planning their wedding; it was fun helping her do so.

Mikoto made delicious pasta for lunch and Hana helped her out in making it. When Mikoto told her that she wanted a daughter in law like Hana, she blushed so hard. I managed to get a picture too!

Time at the Uchihas' was fun but we had to go. Mikoto told us to come over some time and she packed up some pie for us to take home. After thanking them, we headed for the ice cream parlor.

Once we reached the ice cream parlor, I ordered a chocolate sundae with chocolate syrup and sprinkles and Hana asked for a plain vanilla ice cream.

We took a seat in the corner of the parlor and waited for our orders. I looked around and saw that there were many people in the parlor. I grinned, "Wow, I guess ice cream here is the best."

"Umm . . . Konan-chan," Hana said slowly. "I said I'll . . . talk."

I leaned back in my seat and looked at her, urging her to go on. Hana took a deep breath, "Actually, I would tell you directly about how I knew Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi but . . . that will mean I have to bring up . . . my dad."

"You said you met them at a camp in middle school." I told her.

Hana blushed, "Well . . . it wasn't a science or study camp which I usually went to. It was . . . music camp."

I looked at her in surprise, "You . . . and music?"

Hana blushed and held up her hand in defense, "I'll explain." I shut up so that she could explain herself.

"So yeah I took music camp," said Hana. "I took it for two reasons. One was because all the other camp choices which I had had been too cliché and the second was. . . Well, because of my dad."

"How does your dad have to be involved in you joining music camp?" I asked her. She bit her lip. Oops! Maybe it was a sore subject. "If you don't want to talk about it-"

"It's okay," Hana cut in. "I _want_ to tell you."

"Okay then," I said. "Go on."

"My dad was a great singer," said Hana. "He was the best of the best. He had a thing for my mom and wrote many songs for her. After several occasions of him asking her out, my mom agreed to go out with him and soon she agreed to marry him.

After I was born, he started to act weird; he would drink and gamble and flirt with other women. One night my mom had enough. There . . . there was a huge fight and my dad pointed to me and said, "This girl is just about as pathetic as you are! I would have been better off with a son but you had to give me this wretched thing!" It was horrible.

Even if I was four years old then, I still remember those harsh words. My mom lost it and they started to hit each other. I tried to stop them but I ended up getting hit myself."

I was speechless. My hands balled into fists; Hana, sweet and perfect Hana, had such a dark past. I made a mental note to track down her dad and bitch slap the hell out of him.

"Once he walked out the door," Hana continued. "He never came back. My mom was always drunk and she would drown herself in her sorrow. It was unhealthy for her as well as for Kiba, who was in her tummy then. My dad didn't even know that the son he desired was inside the womb of the woman he had hit.

Kiba had almost died because of my mom's alcohol consumption and also from the fight but he was a fighter and he survived. My mom became stronger and she focused only on me and Kiba. We stayed in Ame for a while . . . that's when I met you." Hana gave me a smile. A lone tear slipped out of her eye and she raised her hand to brush it away.

"Since then," said Hana. "I've buried myself in books so that I could achieve something on my own. I didn't need his musical talents."

"I'm . . . impressed!" I said with a grin. Hana looked at me with an expression of surprise. I reached for her and hugged her. "I mean you were only four but you were strong and independent already! You're awesome."

Hana smiled and hugged back. I could feel wet droplets on my shirt, "Thank you for telling me."

Hana pulled away and wiped her tears, "You're my best friend; in our friendship, there is no sorry and thank you."

"So," I said. "You joined music school because you wanted to see how you were in music; something from your dad's side rather than your mom's huh?"

Hana nodded, "I met Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi then. We quickly became friends and they helped me out a lot. Something unexpected happened as well. . ."

"What?" I asked her

"I was given an opportunity to become a real live singer," said Hana. "I got a record deal."

"You didn't take it?!" I exclaimed. Was she crazy? She must be awesome if she was given a record deal.

"I declined," Hana said calmly. "I wasn't sure if I wanted it. I was tempted though; music camp was the most fun I had! But I simply declined. I guess I did it because of my dad."

I sighed, "It's your choice but Hana please don't let what your dad did get in between of what you want to do okay?"

Hana was silent. She nodded shakily, "O-okay."

We got our ice creams and I convinced Hana to eat a spoonful of my chocolate sundae.

"It's okay," said Hana. "But that's enough; I don't want to get sick." Ha! What a liar. I bet she's dying to eat it again.

In between of our ice cream eating, Hana laughed softly, "You must have gotten your musical talent from one of you parents as well, Konan-chan."

I swallowed a spoonful of chocolate sundae, "Both."

Hana looked at me. I smiled, "I got my musical talents from both my parents. My mother had a sweet and lulling voice while my dad had a kind of gruff voice. I guess what I have is a mixture of both!" I looked out of the window sadly.

"I'm sorry Konan-chan." Hana said softly.

I shook my head and continued to stare out the window, "Did I tell you about how my parents died?"

"You don't have to." Hana said kindly.

I turned to her, "But I _want_ to; you're my best friend right?"

Hana smiled and nodded, "Right."

I sighed, "Well you know that both my parents are dead. The worse thing is. . . I watched them die." Hana was silent, a sign telling me to continue.

"They were murdered a few weeks before I first met you," I told her. "A couple of robbers had attacked our house and killed my parents. I couldn't do anything to help them. All I could do was save myself by kicking a guy in the nuts and climbing a tree!"

I realized that I was crying. Tears streamed down my face and I reached up to wipe them away with the back of my hands. I sighed, "I moved on over their death; they wouldn't be happy if I keep mourning over them. But I can't help but feel I'm . . .I'm a weak and pathetic person."

Hana held my hand and smiled, "Well no weak and pathetic person could have kicked a grown man in the nuts. That too at the age of ten! You are strong Konan-chan. You don't need blame yourself."

I smiled at her, "You know just what to say."

Hana grinned, "Don't I always?"

The talk we had here had brought us closer to each other and I felt glad to lift some load off of my chest. I wonder if Hana felt that way too. We finished off our ice creams and left the parlor. Hana smiled, "Let's go check out the comic book store!"

"Nerdy as always," I muttered. "Wait WHAT?!"

Hana blushed, "I said lets go to the comic book store."

Hana. _Inuzuka Hana_. Going to a comic book store. _A COMIC BOOK STORE_! That was a lot to process. I shook my head and grinned, "I am so proud of you."

Hana rolled her eyes, "Let's just go."

The comic book store in Konoha was larger than the one in Ame. I immediately dashed for the Justice League comics. Hana followed me. Once I was done, I picked up some other comics I needed; Green Lantern, Hulk and a few Archie Comics too.

Hana got Justice League, Batman, Flash and Archie Comics as well. I noticed he had also bought Snoopy comics. I groaned, "Oh come on! Snoopy comics are really boring!"

"Ahem!" Hana said as she put her hands on her hips. "Snoopy Comics are classical and funny. You should read them some time!" She waved a Snoopy Comic book in my face.

We climbed into the van and drove to pick up Kiba. He and Akamaru were salivating over the apple pie so the minute we reached home, we ate the apple pie which Mikoto had made.

"So," said Kiba. "Did anything special you two?"

"We had ice cream," I told him. "And some BFF time."

"What about you?" asked Hana. "What did you do in school?"

Kiba laughed, "Naruto, me and Suigetsu, we played a prank on our Geography teacher. Iruka was so pissed!"

I raised an eyebrow, "How come you didn't get detention."

Kiba leaned over the table and whispered, "He doesn't know it was us."

I hooted, "That's my bro." We fist bumped. Hana rolled her eyes at us and sat at the table with us. She placed her share of pie in front of her and started to read her Batman Comic.

Kiba started to choke on his pie. He quickly chugged down his glass of milk and exhaled. He looked at Hana, "Since when do _you_ read Batman?"

"Oh shut up." Hana said with a blush.

I placed a hand on Kiba's shoulder, "Our Hana-chan is growing up, Kiba." Kiba and I pretended to cry and wipe fake tears. Haha stuck her tongue out at us.

Tsume joined us shortly. She stepped into the kitchen and sniffed the air, "I smell apple pie."

I grinned, "Your share is in the fridge."

Tsume went over to the fridge and took out the plate of apple pie on it. After taking a bite, she looked at us, "Why don't you three get ready? I'll feed the dogs and we'll go to Ichiraku's."

"Okay!" The three of us said in union.

Hana decided to take a shower so after she went into the bathroom I started to change my clothes. I didn't feel like I needed a shower so I put on a baggy brown t-shirt with a black jacket over it and dark blue skinny jeans with brown Ugg Boots.

Hana stepped out of the shower and changed into a lavender t-shirt and a cream colored pullover with jeans and lavender flip flops. She didn't tie her hair but she cleaned and adjusted her glasses.

She grinned at me, "Let's go!"

We waited for Tsume downstairs. Kiba was wearing a grey jacket over a black t-shirt and jeans with black DCs. Soon, Tsume joined us. She had changed into a grey hoodie with black skinny jeans and black converse.

We drove to Ichiraku while listening to MC Hammer all the way. 'Can't Touch This' was a song no one in our crazy family would ever get tired of.

We parked right in front of the Ichiraku Ramen stall. According to Tsume, Ichiraku had ramen stands all over since their ramen was very popular but this was the best since the owner of Ichiraku personally worked here.

I had already tasted their ramen at the Food Festival but the smell of Miso Ramen which invaded my nostrils made me salivate. I could see People ordering ramen and sitting at the tables around the stall.

We ordered out ramen and sat at one of the tables. I grinned, "I wonder why they don't have Ichiraku Ramen in Ame."

Hana nodded, "I know right? It will be awesome if there was."

Kiba sighed, "You guys are sounding like Naruto; ramen-obsessed and annoying."

"Shut up Kiba!" yelled a voice behind us. Naruto was glaring at Kiba and he had his arms crossed stubbornly. He was wearing a black and orange tracksuit with black converse.

"Hey Naruto," Tsume said with a grin. "I thought we'd see you around here."

"Great to see ya Tsume-san!" Naruto said with a grin.

"You here alone?" Hana asked.

Naruto shook his head, "I'm here with my brother. That ass Na- I mean Pein ditched me!"

I chuckled, "Sounds like him."

Naruto pouted then he gave us a toothy grin, "I gotta go. See ya around guys!"

As we watched his retreating figure, Hana spoke, "That is one hyper kid."

Kiba shrugged, "He can be a pain but he's a great guy."

"Oh could it be you have feelings for the lad?!" I exclaimed dramatically with a Shakespearean accent.

Hana clasped her hands, "Oh my. Is my younger brother getting in touch with his true sexuality?"

Kiba's ears turned red, "Oh grow up, you two!"

Tsume smirked, "Kiba are you really gay? Your ears look a little red."

Kiba glared at his mom and got up. He stormed off. Although we knew he was mad, we cracked up like hell.

I snickered, "I'll go get him."

I followed the path which Kiba had taken. It was dark and this part of the town wasn't that active. The shops were closed and the only light I had was the moonlight from above.

Then I realized I was lost. I tried to find my way back but I couldn't I was about to use my phone to contact Tsume and the rest but before I could take my phone out of my pocket, I felt a sharp pain in the back of my head.

All I could make out was a shadowy silhouette of a person in a hoodie, who was falling to the ground, and a flash of purple before I was pulled into the darkness.

**Me: I know it's short but it's something. And I put in a little cliffie too! Tee hee.**

**Sasori: Stay tuned for Chapter 18**

**Chicky: Read and review.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Sasori: I'm not in this chapter –sniff sniff-**

**Me:-hugs Sasori- I'm sorry sweetie! It's all Chicky's fault!**

**Chicky: What?!**

**Sasori:-pouts- Chicky-chan is so mean!**

**Me: I'll add you in the next chapter. It's because of Chicky you're not in this chapter!**

**Chicky: Oh for the love of God!**

**Me: Here's chapter 18. Enjoy!**

**CHAPTER 18**

It was really dark and I couldn't make out anything. Maybe my eyes were closed? Or maybe I was really in the dark? Whatever it may be, it was dark.

Last I remembered something hard had hit me on the back of my head and I saw a flash of purple. Was it Pein? I didn't know.

When I tried moving, my head hurt so I stayed as still as a . . . well . . . the stillest thing you can think of. That's when I heard it.

It was dim and vague but it was definitely there; the sound of a guitar.

It calmed me and soothed my body and mind. It was soft and melodious and I felt a sense of familiarity. But where had I heard that tune before?

Along with the guitar, I could hear a murmur; a soft murmur, nothing more. It was like the wind; it was trying to say something but was lost in the air. I tried to concentrate on the sound but I got nothing. It was just the same murmur echoing over and over again.

Suddenly, I found myself under a cherry blossom tree. I was lying down but I could feel someone else's presence around me. I looked at my surroundings but found no one. There was nothing to see either. Just a cherry blossom tree and me.

And then I heard it. The murmurings stopped and I heard it. The sound of someone's voice, filled with so much love and care that I wanted to cry.

"_Konan, you're the most amazing person in this whole world!"_

My eyes were met with the light from a tube light in the ceiling. I was sweating and my breathing was ragged. Whose voice was that?! Was I hallucinating again? Was I going crazy?

I groaned; I have to stop questioning myself! It was giving me a major headache. Once I cooled down a bit, I observed my surroundings.

I was in a room; the bed I was lying on had white sheets and pillows and a soft white blanket lay covering my lower body. A mirror hung, polished and clean, on the wall. There was a glass table with plush brown sofas around it and a flat screen T.V. There was a closet, which was open, and it was sort of empty but it had an open suitcase with clothes inside it. The windows had cream colored curtains which were opened, revealing the rays of sunshine.

Was it morning already? Where was I? Where were Hana and the others? I clutched my head; gotta stop questioning myself. I found my head was bandaged neatly and that I was wearing a baby blue nightgown.

My stuff was on the bedside table next to me; my phone, my origami and my clothes.

Suddenly the door opened, making me yelp in surprise. The person at the door had surprised me. I blinked to make sure he was really there and that I wasn't hallucinating.

"Quit looking at me like that, un."

Sure enough it was Deidara. He was wearing an over sized light purple GAP hoodie and jeans with black converse. He looked amused, "What?"

I shook my head to snap myself out of my staring, "Just making sure I wasn't hallucinating. What are you doing here?"

He shrugged as he took a seat on the edge of the bed, "I live here, un."

"Uh . . . right." I said awkwardly. Great; I had spent the night at Deidara's place. If the fan girls knew . . . oh crap. I shivered at the thought.

Deidara frowned, "You cold?"

"Nope," I said gloomily. "I'm just thinking about how to start writing my will before your fan girls kill me."

Deidara chuckled, "Don't worry about them; we're all on vacation remember?"

"What if they find out?" I whined like a spoilt brat.

Deidara sighed and pinched my nose, "They won't unless you want them to, un."

I leaned back, away from him, and rubbed my nose, "What'd you do that for?!"

Deidara gave me an innocent smirk, "You weren't on your best behavior, Sharpie-chan. That's your punishment, un." I twitched and crossed my arms; the nerve of that guy.

"Stupid Deidei." I muttered under my breath.

Deidara chuckled, "Lighten up, un." He stood up and stretched his arms. That reminds me . . .

"Ne Deidei," I said awkwardly. I could feel my face heating up. Oh geez, now I'm acting like Hana! "W-who changed my clothes?" Unconsciously, my hands reached up to cover chest.

I could see Deidara's ears turn pink as he turned away, "The midget did that, un."

Huh? Midget? Oh, so Kurotsuchi was here as well. I quietly let out a sigh of relief. Deidara cleared his throat, "I'm going to go shower: I haven't changed since yesterday."

"Oh yeah," I said to him with a sneaky grin. "Why are you wearing purple?"

Deidara twitched, "The journey from Iwa was cold so I borrowed this from Akatsuchi. Don't go teaming up with the midget to take pictures of me, un!"

"Okay," I said slowly. Without Deidara noticing, my hands were already on my phone. I swiftly snapped a photo of him, leaving him dazed. "I didn't team up with her; I did it on my own."

"Delete it, un." Deidara said with a glare. I stuck my tongue out at him in response. I jumped out of bed and dashed out the door, laughing.

I heard Deidara chasing me. I kept running until I couldn't see him. Suddenly, he disappeared. I was trying to locate where he was; he was just behind me a few seconds ago!

A pair of arms wrapped around my waist, making me gasp.

"You think you'd escape me that easily, un?" Deidara whispered into my ear. His breath sent shivers down my spine.

My heart was racing wildly in my chest. My back was flush against his body. I was so cooped up processing what was happening that I almost missed Deidara's hand trying to steal the phone from my hands.

I pulled away from him and smirked, "Ah, ah, ah! I don't think so."

Deidara sighed and then swiftly pulled me by the arm towards him. The next thing you know, he's tickling me all over; my stomach, my neck and under my arms. I am a very, _very, _ticklish person so I couldn't stop the laughter from leaving my mouth.

"S-s-stop!" I managed to say weakly. Tears were forming in my eyes but I didn't stop laughing.

"Give up?" Deidara asked, stopping for a while.

I glared at him, "Never!" I was so breathless from laughing so hard.

"Oh well." Deidara said with a smirk. He started to tickle me again and I started to laugh. God, if this kept going, I might wet my pants. And that would be embarrassing.

The phone flew out of my hands and into someone else's. We both stopped our actions to turn to the person who now had y phone; Kurotsuchi.

Her short black hair was a wild and tangled mess, like she went to bed without drying her hair. She was wearing a large white t-shirt which had a picture of Elmo and black shorts underneath.

She glanced back and forth between Deidara and me. I blushed; to be caught laughing like a maniac! And was it me or did Kurotsuchi glare at me briefly?

"You better?" Kurotsuchi asked flatly.

I nodded, "Yeah. Thanks for helping me with . . . my clothes."

At this she grinned, "Now I can't let Deidara-nii and Akatsuchi strip you can I? Who knows what they'd do! Especially Deidara-nii; he's unpredictable."

Deidara twitched, "Zip it, un."

I laughed and punched his arm, "Lighten up, _un_!" He glared at me as I borrowed his exact words from before.

Kurotsuchi smirked, "Say . . . Konan right?" I nodded.

"Why don't you grab your clothes and go into my room to change. You can shower too." She told me.

"That'll be nice. Thanks!" I said with a grin.

"Deidara-nii," she said turning to Deidara. "Change out of that hoodie for God's sake! Or do you like wearing it?"

Deidara glared at her before disappearing back into the room. He poked his hand out of the door and handed me my stuff. I took it from him and followed Kurotsuchi into her room.

Her room was similar to Deidara's but messier. Her bed wasn't made and clothes were thrown around everywhere. She grinned sheepishly, "Sorry; my room's in a mess."

I shook my head, "Nah, you should see my college dorm; this is nothing."

Kurotsuchi pointed to a door in the corner, "That's the bathroom. There are fresh bandages in the cabinets; bring it down when you're done. I'll ask Akatsuchi to reapply it for you. You clean up and I'll just get dressed okay?" I nodded and stepped inside the bathroom.

It was similar to the bathroom at home but slightly bigger. Plus, it had a bathtub! I stripped out of the nightgown, I guess it was Kurotsuchi's, and placed it on the towel hanger. I removed the bandages from my head; turns out that the wound wasn't big. I then stepped into the shower and started to wash myself.

As I rubbed the fruit-scented shampoo onto my hair, I thought about my dream. It seemed so . . . realistic. And for some reason, I _wanted _it to be real! I shook my head; the foamy bubbles flew off in every direction. It was just a dream. I shouldn't be stressing over it. But still then . . .

After I was done, I put on my clothes and fixed my hair. I couldn't put up my hair because it was wet; I don't want it bobbing up in a weird manner when it dries. Plus, I had to bandage my head. I grabbed the bandage from the cabinet and I gently put my origami into the pocket of my jacket and once I was done, I stepped out.

I could see Kurotsuchi cursing as she miserably failed to keep her hair from standing up. She saw me from the reflection in the mirror and turned to face me. She had put on a grey jacket over a black tank top and grey skinny jeans and black DCs.

She sighed and grabbed a black cap from her closet and put it on, "I'm having a bad hair day."

I laughed, "I have it all the time. So . . . I hear you met Hana at music camp."

Kurotsuchi nodded, "Yup! You should hear her sing; she's awesome!"

"I'm planning on letting her sing for me." I said, mostly to myself.

"Let's go for breakfast." Kurotsuchi suggested.

She was a nice girl; really friendly. I wonder what that glare earlier was for. Oh well; I guess I'm not good at reading people.

Their kitchen had a similarity to Mikoto's kitchen but was smaller. The tiles were baby blue in color and everything was clean . . . except for the dirty dishes in the sink. We met Akatsuchi and Deidara in the kitchen.

Deidara had showered (his hair was wet) and was now wearing a black shirt and jeans with black Vans. He was sitting at the table, munching on a toast.

Akatsuchi, who greeted me good morning, was wearing a brown t-shirt and beige half pant with white sneakers. He was cooking something delicious-smelling on the stove.

"Kurotsuchi, you were supposed to do the dishes, un. "Deidara muttered as he stuffed his toast into his mouth.

Kurotsuchi turned away blushing, "Shut up. I was going to do them later!"

Akatsuchi sighed, "Come on guys; not in the kitchen. Konan-san, will bacon and eggs be okay for you?"

I grinned, "Extra crispy!" Akatsuchi laughed and nodded as he went back to his cooking. Kurotsuchi sat next to Deidara and I took the seat opposite to him.

"So," I started to say. "I thought you guys lived in Iwa?"

"We do," said Akatsuchi. "We're here on vacation. Our school had some problems and we got a whole month off! Plus, Deidara-senpai has the holidays from the rain festival so we decided to come to Konoha for a while. This actually our grandpa's place; we're borrowing it from him."

Kurotsuchi chuckled, "Having the Tsuchikage as your grandpa has its merits."

"The Tsuchikage is your grandpa?" I asked. Kurotsuchi simply nodded. I remembered the talk about Kages with Tsume.

"What about you?" Kurotsuchi asked. "I'm assuming it's your first time here, if you got lost yesterday."

I blushed, "Yeah." That reminded me . . .

"Oh crap," I exclaimed. "I forgot to contact Hana! She's going to be so worried and pissed!"

"Don't worry about it," Akatsuchi said softly, as he placed a plate of crispy bacon and eggs in front of me. He then placed a bowl of cereal next to me and sat down. "I made sure Deidara-senpai called Hana-chan and inform her about you."

Deidara rolled his eyes, "It wasn't easy answering her questions, un."

I raised an eyebrow at him, "What do you mean?"

Kurotsuchi snickered and poked Deidara's cheek, "Hana asked him questions from "Where is Konan-chan?" to "Is she okay?" to "Are you sober?" to "Are you trying to seduce Konan-chan?" It was fun watching Deidara turn fifty shades of red."

Deidara smacked the back of Kurotsuchi's head, "Idiot." Kurotsuchi glared at him and stuck her tongue out at him.

I snickered, "You guys fight like a married couple."

Akatsuchi nodded with a smile, "I totally agree." Deidara rolled his eyes while Kurotsuchi ducked her head. I could see her turning red.

We all ate our breakfast and after that, Akatsuchi reapplied my bandages for me. Deidara offered to drop me home.

We drove in silence to my house. I can't tolerate silence for too long so I turned on some music. We listened to the acoustic version 'Yesterday' by The Beatles.

I raised an eyebrow at him, "I didn't know you were into classical music."

Deidara smirked, "I'm not. But I do like listening to The Beatles; don't go thinking I'm old fashioned, un."

I laughed, "I won't. I'm a fan myself."

The guitar music of the song made me think about my dream. I leaned back on the seat and wrapped my arms around myself. Though it was a dream, it always made me feel . . . good. And the guitar I had heard seemed so familiar. For some reason, no matter how pleasant the dream was, it broke my heart. It was frustrating since I had no idea why.

"What's up?" Deidara's voice snapped me out of my trance.

I shook my head, "It's nothing."

Deidara scoffed, "And I'm a girl."

I gasped dramatically, "You are?!"

Deidara rolled his eyes, "But seriously, what's wrong, un?"

"It's just . . ." I started to say. I bit my lip. "I had a dream."

"Good or bad?" he asked me.

I laughed dryly, "That's the thing; I don't know. It was a pleasant dream. There was nothing sad or ugly about it. But whenever I think about it . . . it breaks my heart for some reason."

There was silence between us. I closed my eyes and I could see the cherry blossom tree from my dream. I tried to remember the voice but I couldn't seem to. I couldn't remember! It was like I knew. . .but I didn't. Argh! I was going mad!

The car stopped in front of my house but I didn't move.

"Hey," Deidara said softly. "Are you okay?"

I looked at him and my vision blurred; I realized that tears were streaming down my face. I quickly wiped them away, "Y-yeah. I'm sorry! I'm being very weird and annoying. I-"

I knew I was babbling. What had gotten into me?! Deidara shushed me and pulled me towards him. He held me and gently patted my back, "It's okay, un."

I held him closer to me and we stayed that way for a while. He was very warm and I leaned my head on his shoulder. After some time, I reluctantly pulled away from his embrace. I smiled at him, "Thanks Deidara."

He smirked softly, "No problem, un." He gave my cheek a long and lingering kiss but this time, I didn't blush. I simply leaned towards his touch.

I bid him goodbye and stepped out of the car. After he drove away, I headed for the house. The door was open so I stepped inside.

"I'm home!" I called out.

The Haimaru brothers came running towards me and knocked me down. I laughed as they licked me all over.

Hana ran towards me and hugged me, "You okay?"

"I'm fine." I said as I hugged her back.

"Deidara-san said you had a head injury," she said. "Hope you've changed your bandages."

I nodded, "Akatsuchi changed them for me. Turns out Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi are here too!"

"Let's go to our room," said Hana. "We'll talk there."

I nodded. I started to follow her when Tsume's voice stopped us both.

"Hold up!" Tsume boomed. She sniffed the air and raised an eyebrow at me. "Konan, what did you do yesterday?"

"I don't know, "I admitted sheepishly. "I woke up in the morning to find myself in Deidara's house."

"And what did you and Deidara do?" Tsume asked me as she folded her arms.

I was confused, "What do you mean?"

Tsume sniffed the air again, "I have a very sensitive nose. I smell someone else's scent on you. Now I'm asking you young lady; what did you do?"

I turned red and held up my hands in defense, "Nothing! I swear! We didn't do anything like that!" Tsume looked at me suspiciously.

I simply grabbed Hana's hand and dragged her up to our room. I could hear Tsume chuckle to herself. Hana looked at me quizzically. I gave her a sheepish grin in response.

**Me: How was it? I did promise DeiKonan moments! ^_^ Stay tuned for SasoHana moments.**

**Sasori:-crying- Psy-chan! WHY?! Why do you think I'm ugly?!**

**Me: Say what?**

**Sasori: Chicky-chan told me you said I looked ugly.**

**Me: What in the-**

**Sasori:-cries loudly-**

**Chicky: -evil smirk- Revenge is sweet!**

**Me:-glares- You're the devil!**

**Chicky: Read and review ^_^**


	19. Chapter 19

**Sasori: I'm still not here.**

**Me: I'm preparing something big for you so give me a break, sweetheart. Also, Chicky-chan, it is totally your fault Sasori-kun wasn't in the last chapter (don't ask why sweetie)**

**Chicky: Whatever. Here's chapter 19. Enjoy!**

**CHAPTER 19**

Hana squealed so loud when I told her what had happened with Deidara. We were at the park with the Haimaru brothers and enjoying some coffee as we talked. Some people glanced our way. Hana and I grinned back sheepishly in response.

The park didn't have many people since it was a working day today. There were two young women, with babies in their laps, sitting on a bench and talking. A young couple laughed and chatted as they walked hand in hand and a little boy was flying a kite while his grandfather tried his best to keep up with his energetic grandchild. I could also see some children play in the sandbox and on the swings.

Hana was grinning like crazy, "That's the second kiss you two have shared!"

I blushed, "Oh shut up."

"And the way you responded to it," She said with a dreamy sigh. I rolled my eyes. "You have to go out with him!"

I held up my hands in defense, "No way! We're . . . we're not like that."

"Ah, so you have feelings for Pein-san." Hana said mischievously.

I scoffed, "Yeah right! The day start to I have feeling for him is the day I'm going to lose my head."

Hana giggled, "But come on; you must be having some sort of feeling towards him?"

"Who are you talking about?" I said with a raised eyebrow.

"Pein-san. . . or Deidara-san." She replied. I simply sighed and sipped my coffee. I haven't thought about Pein or Deidara in _that_ way. Sure they're pretty attractive guys but I didn't like them that way.

"Not yet," said Hana. I looked at her. "You don't like either of them _that _way yet. You will though; very soon. I wonder who you'll choose. Oh Konan-chan, you're just as thrilling and as full of suspense as a book!"

I rolled my eyes, "Oh joy." Damn mind reader!

Hana laughed and then sipped her coffee. I nudged her with my elbow, "What about you? You have feelings for Itachi don't you?"

Hana almost spat out her coffee. She coughed and hit her chest trying to calm herself. Once she had, she looked at me with a light blush adorning her cheeks, "I-I don't like him that way."

"So you like Sasori then?" I said with a grin.

Hana slapped my arm, "I don't like him that way either. Sure they're attractive guys but I don't like them like that . . . I think."

I chuckled, "So you do have feelings for one of them! Which one?"

Hana was as red as a tomato, "I don't know about my feelings. For either of them! But I'm pretty sure I don't like them that way."

I grinned, "Not yet you don't. But for now we're on the same page I guess."

Hana laughed and shook her head, "I guess you're right."

"So who would _you _choose?" I asked her.

Hana sighed and looked at the sky, "I don't know."

During the moment of silence between Hana and me, I suddenly remembered my conversation with Kurotsuchi, "Hey Hana sing for me."

Hana's ears turned red, "Say what?!"

I raised an eyebrow at her, "Well I've never heard you sing and I know you must be kickass if someone offered you a record deal. Plus, Kurotsuchi told me your voice was awesome."

"N-no!" Hana exclaimed.

I pouted, "Oh come on! Pretty please with cherries on top?"

Hana cleared her throat, "Firstly, I am not awesome. Second, I suck."

I rolled my eyes, "Yeah right. But please can I listen to you sing once? Please? I know! Let's go to a karaoke tonight. You can sing there. If you don't like your voice, its okay since no one at the karaoke will care."

Hana was silent for a while. Then she looked at me and spoke, "Okay then. But you have to sing something too."

I grinned, "No problem." I finished off my coffee and tossed the cup in the trash can behind me. I stood up from the bench we were sitting on and stretched my arms. Hana threw her empty cup and stood up too. The Haimaru brothers stretched after they got up from their nap.

"Oh yeah," I said with a grin as we walked home. "Should we call Kurotsuchi too? It will be like a girls' night out!"

Hana nodded, "That sounds like a plan; you can call Deidara-san and ask for Kurotsuchi-chan."

I ignored the smug look she was giving me; I knew it was because I was talking to Deidara after our . . . moment this morning. I sighed and took out my phone. I dialed Deidara's number.

"_Yeah?"_ He said lazily.

"Hey it's me Konan." I said. I glared at Hana for laughing at me under the hand she was using to cover her mouth.

"_You okay?"_ He asked with concern.

I smiled, "Yeah, thanks. Can you give the phone to Kurotsuchi?"

"_Don't tell me you're teaming up with the midget on me, un."_ Deidara muttered.

I laughed, "No, no. I have to ask her something; nothing related to you dear Deidei-chan."

"She went out, un. I'll text you her number."

"That would be nice."

"_Fine, un. You . . . take care okay?"_ Oh geez; now I seem like a complete baby in front of Deidara. Sheesh I'm not even on my period! Something is seriously wrong with me.

"I will. Bye." I ended the call and waited for his text. Once I got Kurotsuchi's number, I saved it first before calling her.

"_Yellow?"_ said Kurotsuchi.

"Hey Kurotsuchi," I said into the phone. "It's me Konan."

"And Hana!" Hana piped in. I put the phone on loudspeaker.

"_Oh hey guys! What's up?"_ She said cheerfully.

"Listen," said Hana. "Konan-chan and I are going for karaoke tonight. Wanna join us? It will be a girls' night out."

"We'll hear Hana sing too," I added. Hana punched my arm. "Ow!"

Kurotsuchi chuckled, _"That sound awesome! What time?"_

"Around seven." I replied.

"_Seven is good,"_ said Kurotsuchi. _"I'll bring Deidara-nii's car and pick you guys up. See ya then."_

"Bye!" Hana and I said into the phone. I ended the call and shoved my phone back into my pant pocket. We resumed our journey home.

Once we reached home, I sat down on the couch in the living room and let out a sigh. Hana sat next to me, "You seem exhausted for nothing."

"It's those dreams," I told her. Yeah, she knows. She's my best friend. Duh. "It's bothering me again. Maybe it means something."

"Maybe it does," Hana said softly. "But don't stress over it; I'm sure time will reveal what it means."

I smiled at her, "Yeah you're right."

"Aren't I always?" Hana said with a small smile. "Now let's watch a movie to waste time; you pick."

I grinned, "Okay then! You make some popcorn."

"You got it!" Hana beamed as she stood up and went to the kitchen. I picked out two movies, unable to pick from the two. I walked into the kitchen and the smell of popcorn invaded my nose.

"Hey Hana," I said as I held up the movies. "Should we watch 'Johnny English Reborn' or 'Disaster Movie'? I feel like watching a comedy but I can't decide what to watch from these two."

"I vote for 'Johnny English Reborn," Hana said as she brought over a bowl of popcorn. "Let's go."

Since Tsume and Kiba were gone, the rest of the afternoon Hana and I watched both 'Johnny English Reborn' and 'Disaster Movie.' We ordered pizza for lunch and we reached the half of 'Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls' when Kiba and Tsume came home. Time sure flies.

"I smell pizza." Kiba declared as he stepped into the living room. Akamaru barked as he excitedly wagged his tail.

"Here you go." I said as I passed the box of ham and cheese pizza to him. He grinned as he took the box and he gave a slice to Akamaru before eating one himself.

Tsume grabbed a slice from the box too, "So girls, do you have any plans tonight?"

"Girls night out," I said with a grin. "Me, Hana and another friend of ours we're going to a karaoke."

Kiba laughed, "Konan get me a video of Hana singing will ya?" Hana chucked the remote on his head, making him cry out in pain.

I snickered, "I was planning on it." Hana slapped my arm but that didn't stop me from laughing. She then crossed her arms and pouted as she looked away.

Tsume chuckled, "Well you two have a good time. Will you be home for dinner or will you eat out?"

"I guess we'll be eating out." Hana replied.

"Okay. Kiba, how about we order Chinese tonight?" Tsume said with a grin. Kiba hooted in glee while Akamaru barked. That was a 'hell yeah' from their side.

"When are you leaving?" asked Tsume.

"At seven." Hana and I replied at the same time.

"Well its five thirty right now," said Tsume. "There's plenty of time; both of you go shower and change."

"Okay!" We said as we headed for our room. I showered first and after I was done, I asked Hana to reapply my bandage for me. She shook her head, "It looks okay and it's nothing serious. You don't need the bandage anymore."

Wow, I must be a fast healer if my wound had healed overnight. After Hana disappeared into the bathroom to shower, I put on my clothes. I wore a black t-shirt, which said 'Bonkers' in bright neon letters, with dark blue skinny jeans and one of Hana's black ballet flats. I put on a grey cardigan and grabbed my bag.

I tied my hair and pulled out my origami from the pocket of the jacket I had worn yesterday. It had become slightly crumpled. I sighed as I started to smoothen it out. Hana stepped out of the bathroom, fully dressed, wearing a lavender long sleeved shirt and my grey skinny jeans. She then put on her grey ballet flats.

She did her hair in a loose, messy braid that hung over her shoulder. She put on her glasses and grinned at me, "Ready."

I nodded. Tsume called us from downstairs saying that Kurotsuchi had arrived. We said our goodbye and went out. We were greeted by Kurotsuchi who was waving at us from the driver's seat.

"Get in guys." She called out. I rode at the back while Hana climbed in front with Kurotsuchi. Her attire consisted of a red t-shirt under a black coat and a black skirt with grey and black striped leggings and black converse.

"I know the perfect place for karaoke!" Kurotsuchi beamed.

"Lead the way." Hana said with a smile.

"Ne," I started to say. "How'd you convince Deidara to give you his car?"

"Yeah," Hana said in agreement. "The last time we took his car, he was pretty ticked."

"The last time you took his car?" She questioned. I explained about Kiba being in Ame, Tobi's wild driving and Deidara getting mad.

Kurotsuchi laughed, "Sounds like you had a lot of fun back then. But anyway, I drugged Deidara-nii."

"What?!" Hana and I exclaimed.

"Nothing serious," she said with a shrug. "I didn't _really _drug him. I just replaced his cranberry juice with wine. Deidara-nii falls asleep for a _long_ time when he drinks wine. He uses it when he can't sleep. I just gave him a little extra. Don't worry; Akatsuchi's taking care of him."

"Oo-kay." I said slowly.

"He might get mad when he wakes up." Hana told Kurotsuchi.

"He won't," Kurotsuchi said slyly. "He loves me too much."

"Are you guys going out or something?" I asked.

Kurotsuchi's ears turned red, "Of course not! I didn't mean it that way!" Hana and I simply laughed at her embarrassment.

The Karaoke Pub was called 'Mystic leaf' and indeed it was mystic. It was dark with flashy lights and there was a bar inside too. I could see a lot of people. Kurotsuchi went over to order our drinks. Hana and I sat at a table in the corner.

"This place seems lively." Hana said as she looked around.

The guy who was currently singing an Ed Sheeran song had a terrible voice. I know it's rude to say that but it's the ugly truth. Some people booed but the guy kept singing. I admired him for that.

When he finished, there was a nervous applause from the crowd. Hana and I applauded for him loudly. Kurotsuchi joined us shortly.

She cringed, "That guy was terrible!"

"Kurotsuchi-chan, that's mean!" Hana chided.

Kurotsuchi rolled her eyes, "Whatever. I'm going to go and show these people what real singing is." She stood up and went over to the stage to choose a song. Hana and I looked at each other and then turned to the stage.

"And now," the announcer's voice boomed. "Let's give a round of applause to Miss Kurotsuchi!" The applause was half hearted and some didn't even bother. Kurotsuchi simply smirked as she readied the mic.

The music came on and I recognized the song immediately.

_**You know the bed feels warmer  
sleeping here alone.  
You know I dream in color  
and do the things I want.**_

_**You think you got the best of me,  
Think you've had the last laugh,  
Bet you think that everything good is gone.  
Think you left me broken down,  
Think that I'd come running back,  
Baby you don't know me, cause you're dead wrong.**_

I grinned; Kurotsuchi had an awesome voice. It was upbeat and melodious and slightly rough but she was great! I sang the chorus with her.

_**What doesn't kill you makes you stronger  
Stand a little taller  
Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone  
What doesn't kill you makes a fighter  
Footsteps even lighter  
Doesn't mean I'm over cause you're gone**__**  
**__**What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stronger  
Just me, myself and I  
**_

_**What doesn't kill you makes you stronger  
Stand a little taller  
doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone**__**  
**_

_**You heard that I was starting over with someone new  
They told you I was moving on over you**__**  
**__**You didn't think that I'd come running back  
I'd come back swinging  
You try to break me  
But you see... **__**  
**__**  
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger  
Stand a little taller  
Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone  
What doesn't kill you makes a fighter  
Footsteps even lighter  
Doesn't mean I'm over cause you're gone**__**  
**__**What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stronger  
Just me, myself and I**_

_**What doesn't kill you makes you stronger  
Stand a little taller  
doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone**__**  
**_

_**Thanks to you I got a new thing started  
Thanks to you I'm not the broken-hearted  
Thanks to you I'm finally thinking 'bout me  
You know in the end the day you left was just my beginning**_

In the end..._**  
**_

_**What doesn't kill you makes you stronger  
Stand a little taller  
Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone  
What doesn't kill you makes a fighter  
Footsteps even lighter  
Doesn't mean I'm over cause you're gone**__**  
**__**What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stronger  
Just me, myself and I**_

_**What doesn't kill you makes you stronger  
Stand a little taller  
doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone**__**  
**__**what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stronger  
Just me, myself and I**_

_**What doesn't kill you makes you stronger  
Stand a little taller  
doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone**_

Kurotsuchi took a bow as the audience clapped and cheered loudly for her. She grinned as she came over with the song list in her hands.

"You were amazing!" I told her as she sat down.

She chuckled and scratched her cheek, "It wasn't much but thanks."

"Kelly Clarkson couldn't have done better." Hana said with a smile.

Kurotsuchi passed us the song list, "You guys sing."

"Konan-chan, you go first." Hana said to me. I threw her a look before turning my attention to the list. After deciding which song to sing, I stood up. I looked at Hana, "Since you're last, Kurotsuchi and I will pick what song you're gonna sing."

Hana pouted, "No fair!"

"It's totally fair!" Kurotsuchi exclaimed as we slapped high fives. I walked over to the stage and told the announcer what I was going to sing.

"Next up, we have Miss Konan. A round of applause please!" The applause was a bit louder; I guess they expected me to be as awesome as Kurotsuchi since we were friends. I started my song.

_**Wake up in the morning,  
feeling like P Diddy.  
Grab my glasses,  
I'm out the door,  
I'm gonna hit this city.**_

_**Before I leave,  
brush my teeth,  
with a bottle of jack.  
'Cause when I leave for the night,  
I ain't coming back.**_

_**I'm talking pedicures on our toes, toes,  
Trying on all our clothes, clothes,  
Boys blowin' up our phones, phones.**_

_**Drop, toping, playing our favorite CDs,  
pulling up to the parties,  
trying to get a little bit tipsy.**_

_**Don't stop, make it pop,  
DJ, blow my speakers up.  
Tonight, Imma fight,  
till we see the sunlight.  
Tik tok, on the clock,  
but the party don't stop no.  
Oh, oh, oh, oh.  
Oh, oh, oh, oh.**_

_**Don't stop, make it pop,  
DJ, blow my speakers up.  
Tonight, Imma fight,  
till we see the sunlight.  
Tik tok, on the clock,  
but the party don't stop no.  
Oh, oh, oh, oh.  
Oh, oh, oh, oh.**_

_**Ain't got a care in the world,  
but got plenty of beer.  
Ain't got no money in my pocket,  
but I'm already here.  
And now the dudes are lining up,  
'Cause they hear we got swagger.  
But we kick 'em to the curb,  
unless they look like Mick Jagger.**_

_**I'm talking about everybody getting crunk, crunk,  
Boys trying to touch my junk, junk,  
Gonna smack him if he getting too drunk, drunk.**_

_**Now, now we're going till they kick us out, out,  
Or the police shut us down, down,  
Police shut us down, down,  
Popo shut us down.**_

I started to dance as I sang.

_**Don't stop, make it pop,  
DJ, blow my speakers up.  
Tonight, Imma fight,  
till we see the sunlight.  
Tik tok, on the clock,  
but the party don't stop no.  
Oh, oh, oh, oh.  
Oh, oh, oh, oh.**_

_**Don't stop, make it pop,  
DJ, blow my speakers up.  
Tonight, Imma fight,  
till we see the sunlight.  
Tik tok, on the clock,  
but the party don't stop no.  
Oh, oh, oh, oh.  
Oh, oh, oh, oh.**_

_**You build me up,  
you break me down,  
my heart it pounds,  
yeah you got me.**_

_**With my hands up,  
you got me now,  
You got that sound,  
yeah you got me.**_

_**You build me up,  
you break me down,  
my heart it pounds,  
yeah you got me.**_

_**With my hands up,  
you got me now,  
You got that sound,  
yeah you got me.**_

_**Now the party don't start till I walk in.**_

_**Don't stop, make it pop,  
DJ, blow my speakers up.  
Tonight, Imma fight,  
till we see the sunlight.  
Tik tok, on the clock,  
but the party don't stop no.  
Oh, oh, oh, oh.  
Oh, oh, oh, oh.**_

_**Don't stop, make it pop,  
DJ, blow my speakers up.  
Tonight, Imma fight,  
till we see the sunlight.  
Tik tok, on the clock,  
but the party don't stop no.  
Oh, oh, oh, oh.  
Oh, oh, oh, oh.**_

The crowd went wild. I simply grinned and blew a kiss to the audience. The male hands flew up to grab it as if it were a real thing. I walked back to our table.

"And you called me awesome," Kurotsuchi said with a grin. "You're killer!"

"Oh geez that's nothing." I said sheepishly.

"You should hear her rap," said Hana. "She's even better."

"You rap?" Kurotsuchi asked in surprise. I grinned and nodded.

"Oh but forget me," I said. I turned and smirked at Hana who gulped. "Kurotsuchi, we have to pick a song for sweet little Hana."

"That's right," Kurotsuchi said slyly. "It's your turn Hana."

**Sasori: Well it's been a long time since we've added lyrics.**

**Me: Ooh! A cliffie . . . sort of. Well stay tuned for the next chapter.**

**Sasori: Say . . . where's Chicky?**

**Me: Bathroom. Any who, read and review! ^_^**


	20. Chapter 20

**Me: Well I'm all alone right now. Chicky took Tobi to the movies. And the guys are out. Also, I have uploaded a new ItaHana fanfic called 'The Ninja Games' and it's based on the 'Hunger Games' series (all in one . . . sort of.) Please check it out at my story list. Review would be appreciated.**

**So here's chapter 20. Enjoy ^_^**

**CHAPTER 20**

Hana laughed nervously and played with the hem of her shirt, "O-okay. But nothing dirty or extreme!"

Right now, a group of girls were singing 'Wannabe' by The Spice Girls. They were pretty good but the problem was they were busting some moves that were really indecent. The males went wild.

Kurotsuchi and I snickered as we browsed through the list. Hana punched Kurotsuchi in the arm when she suggested 'Sexy Silk' by Jessie J. I earned one myself when I suggested 'Wet the Bed' by Chris Brown.

"I said nothing dirty!" Hana exclaimed.

"Okay, okay," Kurotsuchi said between her laughter. She showed me a song. "What about this?"

I grinned when I saw what it was, "Perfect!"

Hana raised an eyebrow at us, "What song am I going to sing?"

We showed her the list and pointed to the song we had chosen from the list. She smiled, "I like this song. Okay then." She stood up and went over to the stage. We saw her telling the announcer what song she was singing.

"And now," said the announcer. "Put your hands together for Inuzuka Hana!"

Hana received a loud round of applause. She blushed and stepped onto the stage shyly. She cleared her throat. The music came on and she started to sing.

_**Heart beats fast  
Colors and promises  
How to be brave  
How can I love when I'm afraid  
to fall  
But watching you stand alone  
All of my doubt  
suddenly goes away somehow**_

One step closer

_**I have died everyday  
waiting for you  
Darling' don't be afraid  
I have loved you for a  
Thousand years  
I'll love you for a  
Thousand more**_

I was totally baffled. Hana's voice was soft and sweet but it had so much power. I can't help but feel proud to say that's my best friend up there.

"Her voice has matured," Kurotsuchi said in awe. "And her singing is even better than I remember!"

Remembering my conversation with Kiba, I pulled out my phone and started recording the video of Hana singing.

**Time stands still  
Beauty I know she is  
I will be brave  
I will not let anything  
Take away  
What's standing in front of me  
Every breath,  
Every hour has come to this**

One step closer

I have died everyday  
Waiting for you  
Darling' don't be afraid  
I have loved you for a  
Thousand years  
I'll love you for a  
Thousand more

And all along I believed  
I would find you  
Time has brought  
Your heart to me  
I have loved you for a  
Thousand years  
I'll love you for a  
Thousand more

One step closer  
One step closer

I have died everyday  
Waiting for you  
Darling' don't be afraid,  
I have loved you for a  
Thousand years  
I'll love you for a  
Thousand more

And all along I believed  
I would find you  
Time has brought  
Your heart to me  
I have loved you for a  
Thousand years  
I'll love you for a  
Thousand more

Christina Perri, eat your heart out! Kurotsuchi and I cheered at the top of our lungs for Hana. Some people in the Karaoke were crying too; they were emotionally moved. They cheered so loudly for Hana and some even asked for an encore. But Hana simply gave a small bow and came over to us.

"YOU TOTALLY KICKED BUTT!" Kurotsuchi and I beamed.

Hana blushed as she sat down, "Oh stop it, you."

"Wait till Itachi and Sasori hear you sing," I said sneakily. "They're gonna fall head over heels for you!"

"Itachi and Sasori?" Kurotsuchi asked.

"Shut up!" Hana exclaimed, her face turning red.

"Yeah," I said to Kurotsuchi. "Both of them have the hots for Hana."

"Well what about you?" She said cheekily. "_You_ have Pein-san and Deidara-san salivating over you!"

"Please!" I said as I rolled my eyes.

"What about the time Deidara-san kissed you huh?" Hana said cheekily.

Kurotsuchi nearly choked on her drink. She looked at me, "Kissed you?"

"He didn't kiss me!" I exclaimed. Oh god this was getting awkward.

"This morning, he-" Hana started to say.

I clamped my hand over her mouth, "Alright! Alright! You win. Now shut up!" I could feel my ears turning red.

"I'm going to go get a drink." Kurotsuchi said quietly as she left for the bar.

Hana and I watched her go. I tilted my head, "What's up with her?"

"I don't know," said Hana. "Maybe something you said."

"Oh yeah. Put the blame on Konan since she has the cool piercing." I said childishly. Hana laughed at me and shook her head.

"Oh God," Hana said with a gasp. She looked at me. "Could it be that Kurotsuchi-chan likes Deidara-san?"

My eyes widened; no wonder she's been sending me glares. She thinks I'm a love rival or something! Oh man! How many 'rivals' am I gonna have in my life?!

"It's my fault," Hana said as she bit her bottom lip. "I mentioned all those stuff about you and Deidara-san."

I shook my head, "It's my fault for not realizing earlier; now it looks like I've been playing with Deidara in front of her."

"We should talk to her." Hana suggested. We looked at the bar but found that Kurotsuchi wasn't there. Did she go out?

"I'll go find her," I told Hana. "You stay here." Hana nodded. I stood up and made my way out of the Karaoke.

I found her drinking a can of beer and leaning on the wall next to the entrance. When she saw me she straightened up, "Hey, I was just . . . getting some air." Her voice seemed cold and hard; not the cheerful bubbly one I heard earlier.

"Me too." I said as I leaned against the wall, next to her.

She cleared her throat, "Well Hana shouldn't stay alone inside; she could get into trouble."

"She'll be fine," I said to her. "Right now, we need to talk."

Her shoulders stiffened a bit but then she relaxed and leaned on the wall again, "What's up?"

I took the drink from her hand and took a sip. I sighed, "Do you like Deidara?"

Kurotsuchi turned really red, "Say what?! What kind of a question is that?"

I raised an eyebrow at her, "So you to like him?"

Kurotsuchi babbled a lot of things which weren't clear but finally she calmed down and sighed, "Does it matter? It's just a crush I've had since we were little." She looked sad and I immediately knew I was right.

"Well it does," I said as I took another sip. "They're your feelings."

"But you're going out with him aren't you?" She asked me.

I laughed at this, "You crazy? No way. I like him but not _that _way. In fact, I have no interest in guys like that. He's all yours."

Kurotsuchi looked at me and tilted her head, "You guys . . . kissed?"

It was my turn to blush. I held up my hands in defense, "It was just two times and both were just a friendly kiss on the cheek. Nothing serious, I swear!"

"R-really?" She said quietly.

"Yes," I replied with a grin. "And I think you should tell him how you feel; you're an awesome person, I'm sure he will respond to your feelings."

Kurotsuchi sighed, "He likes someone else, and I know it."

"Who?" I asked her. "I'll tear that little-"

"You." She cut in.

"What?" I was clearly confused.

"He likes you," she said softly. "And I should respect that. I'm sorry for acting like such a bitch towards you. It's not fair for you."

"Whoa, whoa," I started to say. "You weren't a bitch to me at all. And no, Deidara doesn't like me."

"He does," she said to me. "I can tell. And if you like him back, I'm totally okay with it! I won't interfere."

"Oh come on," I said to her. "Why would he like me? Okay forget I said that. The question is why _wouldn't_ he like you?"

Kurotsuchi shrugged, "He doesn't see me that way. I'm just 'Midget' and a childhood friend to him."

"No way!" exclaimed a voice next to us. We turned to see Hana poking her head out of the entrance. She smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. You guys were taking too long."

Kurotsuchi turned red again, "Oh God."

"I'll keep it a secret," said Hana as she joined us. "I promise. I'm sorry for blurting out that stuff; that was totally annoying and nosy. I guess I live up to my old nickname."

I grinned, "It's not your fault, babe."

Hana smiled at me and then looked at Kurotsuchi, "Don't worry Kurotsuchi-chan. He'll like you and we'll make sure you two go out with each other."

Kurotsuchi looked at me nervously, "And this is totally okay with you?"

"Yup! Like I said, he's all yours." I said with a toothy grin.

"Besides, she has Pein-san." Hana said with a giggle. I rolled my eyes.

"You guys are awesome!" Kurotsuchi exclaimed as she hugged us both.

After we pulled away from out girl group hug I raised my fist in the air; oh geez, I was picking up that creepy Gai-sensei's habits, "Yosh! Let's start Operation Match Maker!"

Kurotsuchi blushed, "You guys! You don't have to do anything; I don't want to make things weird between Deidara and me."

"Don't worry about it," Hana said with a smile. "We'll just give you two opportunities to be alone together. Then you're on your own."

"I now fear you two." Kurotsuchi muttered.

We went back inside and did a couple of group songs. As the last song, we called up some people from the audience and we decided all sing 'We are Young' by Fun. It was amazing; we all held hands and made this big circle where we moved swayed side to side as we sang.

_**Carry me home tonight  
Just carry me home tonight  
Carry me home tonight  
Just carry me home tonight**_

The world is on my side  
I have no reason to run  
So will someone come and carry me home tonight  
The angels never arrived  
But I can hear the choir  
So will someone come and carry me home

Tonight  
We are young  
So let's set the world on fire  
We can burn brighter  
Than the sun

Tonight  
We are young  
So let's set the world on fire  
We can burn brighter  
Than the sun

So if by the time the bar closes  
And you feel like falling down  
I'll carry you home tonight

The announcer declared drinks on the house and we all went for beer. We socialized a bit too. I got two cute guys' phone number. Not that I was going to call them though. Tee hee. I could see guys flirting with Hana and Kurotsuchi as well. Kurotsuchi flirted back casually and Hana was blushing but she talked back to the guy. Kurotsuchi and I drank a little but Hana stuck with coke.

That's the thing with Hana; on special occasions, she drinks coke instead of beer and under normal circumstances, she drinks fruit juices while I, or any other normal person, drank coke.

We then decided to go for dinner at a sushi bar. After eating, we decided it was about time to head home. We listened to 'Die in your Arms' by Justin Bieber all the way.

"Woo!" Kurotsuchi exclaimed. "I think I'm getting Bieber Fever!"

"Me too!" Hana said with a laugh.

"Well count me in too!" I said with a grin. We sang the chorus at the top of our lungs.

_**If I could just die in your arms  
I wouldn't mind  
'Cause every time you touch me  
I just die in your arms  
Oooh, it feels so right  
So baby, baby please don't stop girl.**_

Kurotsuchi's phone started to buzz. I turned down the volume for her. She looked at the screen of her phone and yelped. She laughed sheepishly as she answered the call, "Hey Deidara-nii."

"Put it on loud speaker." I told her. She did as I told her.

"_Midget, you are dead, un." _said Deidara's voice.

"That's what you said to Tobi when we took your car the last time. "I said cheekily.

"_Yes and you are always present when my car's missing, un." _He muttered.

"Oh stop being so grouchy!" said Kurotsuchi.

"_I have a right to be." _Deidara replied.

"Forgive us this one time," said Hana. "Pretty please?" No response on the other end of the phone.

"Pretty please with tons of art clay on top?" I offered. No response.

"Pretty please with . . . umm . . ." Kurotsuchi said as she struggled for something to say. I whispered something in her ear and urged her to say it. "Pretty please with thousands of brilliant fireworks display?"

"_Sharpie told you that." _He pointed out.

"Oh shut up." I muttered.

"_Whatever. Just don't crash my car." _And with that he hung up.

"Looks like we're safe . . . I think." said Hana.

"Fireworks?" Kurotsuchi asked me.

I grinned sheepishly. I told her about Deidara's wish and the fireworks display during my song at the concert.

"I didn't know that." Kurotsuchi said slowly.

"I found it surprising too," I admitted. Then I realized that Kurotsuchi might be hurt to find out that Deidara told me something he never bothered to tell her. "But I'll bet you know a lot of other things about him. You guys grew up together right?"

She slowly smiled, "Yeah, I guess so."

Once we reached home, we said goodbye to Kurotsuchi and headed inside. It was dark inside so we quietly opened the door without making a sound. We heard noises from the living room so Hana and I tiptoed there to see what was going on.

Tsume and Kiba were sitting on the couch with Akamaru and the Haimaru brothers and Kuromaru were sleeping on the floor. I noticed that they were watching 'Paranormal Activity.' Their eyes were glued to the T.V as they slowly, with trembling hands, brought the popcorn to their mouth.

Kuromaru noticed our presence but we held our fingers to our lips, telling him not to let Tsume and Kiba know. He seemed to be giving us a doggish smirk (if that were possible) when he realized what we were going to do and resumed his slumber.

Hana and I looked at each other. We then yelled loudly, "BOO!"

Tsume and Kiba screamed. Akamaru gave a yelp of surprise and hid his eyes with his paws. Tsume buried her head under the blanket that was on her lap and Kiba tried to run out of the room put tripped over Ichi and ended up falling on his face.

Hana and I laughed our heads off. Tsume and Kiba glared at us, "That's not funny!"

"It's hilarious!" Hana and I said in union and we ran away from the two angry Inuzukas chasing us. I guess it's going to be a long night.

**I love the song 'A Thousand years' and 'we are Young' so much! I had to use them. Ooh la, la; Kurotsuchi-chan's confession! Well I hope you liked the chapter. Please read the ItaHana fanfic; I'm pretty sure it's good (or not). Ja ne! Stay tuned.**


	21. Chapter 21

**I am so tired of excuses but HONESTLY my net is a bitch. I'm using my uncle's. Anyways, 'Flower in the Rain' now has 103 reviews and that means a lot to me. **

**I would like to personally thank my assistant Chicky-chan (chickypoo8 on FFN) She's in Delhi right now but she has supported me all the way. I love you Chicky!**

**Thank you to the following reviewers who have stuck with me and have encouraged me to keep writing! You guys are awesome.**

**-InnocentBlossom (Konan-chan ^_^)  
-Erza Fullbuster Love  
-damnheart.o3  
-Lady Shizu  
-Ivy123  
-coolseal9  
-Yuaki1707  
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-brokenxangel15  
-jackvondragon  
-Konan Uchiha Sasuke  
-SakuraLover80548  
-shizukana313  
-SasuTenNeji Love  
-smiles811998  
-Temari Uchiha –Love Lemon  
-FrozenCrystalHeart**

**Konan-chan (Innocent Blossom on FFN) I hate not bringing up SasoHana and PeinKonan sooner but I PROMISE I'll add it in the next chapter. Haha, I love DeiKonan just as much. I was thinking of doing a DeiKonan one-shot but I have to complete 3 fanfics. Maybe after I'm done with this one (I don't want it to end though)**

**Here's the 21****st**** chapter. Go easy on me; it's my first time doing something related with the beach (I have never been to the beach myself)**

**CHAPTER 21**

"Good morning!" Hana said with a yawn as she stepped into the kitchen.

I had just finished showing Tsume and Kiba the video of Hana singing when she stepped in. Kiba grinned at her, "Whoa Sissy; you're good at singing aren't you?"

Tsume nodded in agreement. She went over and ruffled Hana's hair, "That's my girl."

Hana blushed and pouted, "Konan-chan!" I simply laughed in response.

We ate a nice breakfast of Lucky Charms cereal. Hana kept on taking out the marshmallows out of her bowl and plopping them into mine. She was insane! Marshmallows were the best part of Lucky Charms. Oh well, more for me.

Since it was the weekend, Kiba didn't have school. So today, we were spending the day as a family. Tsume gave us a toothy grin "Yosh! How about we go to the beach today?!"

"YEAH!" Kiba and I exclaimed as we slapped high fives.

Hana shook her head, "Sorry guys I can't go."

Tsume raised an eyebrow at her, "Why not? You got a date or something?"

Hana blushed, "No! It's just that Shizune-san gave us an assignment and I'd like to complete that."

"Stop being such a good-goody," Kiba said as he shook his head. "You can finish it off in Ame. You'll have another week of holidays for the Rain Festival right?"

"Exactly," Hana said with a smile. "I want to complete my assignments before the Rain Festival."

"Goody Two Shoes." I muttered.

Hana stuck her tongue out at me and stood up, "How about this; you guys go to the beach while I finish my assignments and we'll have dinner at a seafood restaurant tonight? My treat."

I grinned, "That's a fair deal! It's settled then."

"Hana beware of Konan; you don't know how much she loves prawns." Kiba said with a chuckle. I punched him in the arm.

Tsume chuckled, "Well then, Kiba, Konan, go get your stuff ready and meet me by the van in ten minutes."

"Okay!" Kiba and I yelled as we ran out of the kitchen.

I had never been to the beach before. There was one in Ame but there wasn't much sun. I had gone for swimming though. Today, I was going to kick back and oak up some vitamin D. I opened my bag and started to search for my swimsuit.

When I found it, my heart sank. I realized I had out grown my one-piece black swimsuit. I groaned and tossed it back into the bag. I knew Hana wouldn't have a swimsuit; she didn't like swimming. Maybe Tsume has an extra.

I went into Tsume's room. She was now wearing a big red t-shirt and white shorts with red flip flops and a black cap on her head. She grinned at me, "What's up?"

"I out grew my swimsuit," I told her. "You wouldn't happen to have an extra would you?"

Tsume scratched her chin, "Well I do have something from my high school days; found it in the basement when I was cleaning."

"It will do!" I beamed.

Tsume chuckled and opened her closet. She searched and gave a hoot when she found what she was looking for. She tossed the article of clothing towards me. Actually two.

I blushed; it was a bikini which was plain and dark blue in color. I cleared my throat, "Tsume-san, I've never worn a bikini before."

Tsume laughed, "I know. Sorry but that's all I have."

I sighed, "Oh well. I guess I could wear something different for a change." I can't believe I was doing this! Damn.

I walked back into the room and found Hana putting her texts books into a white backpack. I raised an eyebrow, "I thought you were going to do your assignments today."

"I am," Hana said as she zipped up her backpack and slung it over her shoulder as she stood up. "But it's not something I have to do at home sitting on a desk. I've got to go to a zoo first."

I nodded dumbly. I didn't question her further; I most definitely didn't need a long speech about what exactly her assignment was. Hana had changed into a black long sleeved shirt and a white skirt with black leggings underneath and black flats.

She tied her hair in a ponytail and cleaned her glasses. She then noticed the object in my hand and gasped, "Konan-chan . . . is that-"

"Yes," I cut her off. My ears felt hot. "I out grew my swimsuit so I borrowed from Tsume-san."

Hana laughed, "Oh the boys at the beach will be drooling over you!"

I rolled my eyes, "Shut up."

I went to the bathroom and changed into the . . . bikini. Just saying that makes me feel so awkward! After I was done, I slipped on my baby blue flip flops and tied my hair in a spiky ponytail. I didn't wear my origami because it might get wet. I wore a pale blue stud and stepped out.

Hana gave me a wolf whistle, "Someone looks hot! Oh I wish Pein-san was at the beach today."

I threw my tank top at her but she caught it with ease and smirked smugly at me. I shook my head and started to pack my beach stuff; towels, sun screen (found a bottle in the bathroom cabinet), my shades, clothes for later and my phone and camera. I did tell Hana I would read the Twilight books once so without her notice, I slipped her 'Twilight' copy in the bag as well. I was going insane; first bikinis and now vampire books.

I put on grey pullover and grabbed my stuff. I gave Hana a two fingered salute before walking out the door.

Kiba hooted in my direction. I turned to find him leaning on the door of his room with a duffel bag around his neck and volleyball in his hand. He grinned, "Well Konan I never thought you'd be one to wear a bikini.

I stuck my tongue out at him, "Shut up. Besides, what can I do? I outgrew my old swimsuit."

Kiba shrugged as he straightened himself, "Let's wait in the van."

We waited to Tsume in the van by listening to some music on the stereo. Kuromaru, the Haimaru brothers and Akamaru climbed in the back with us. We connected Kiba's phone to the stereo and played the music from there. We were listening to Gustavo Lima's 'Balada' and singing the chorus with random made-up words when Tsume and Hana joined us.

Hana climbed into the driver's seat while Tsume climbed in front with her. I raised an eyebrow, "Hana's driving?"

"I'm taking the van," said Hana. "Call me when you guys are done; I'll pick you guys up."

Kiba snickered next to me and held out his phone, "Hey Konan, this song reminds me of Hana."

"Which one?" Hana asked.

I saw what he was showing me on the phone and snickered. I hit play and spoke the way that announcer at the Karaoke did, "And now, put your hands together for the song we are about to play; dedicated to Miss Inuzuka Hana!"

The music came on and Kiba and I could hold back our laughter when the lyrics came up.

_**You're in the woods with your vampire Edward Cullen,  
He's always whining and complaining, he's so sullen,  
'Cause he doesn't get your human like I do.**_

_**I'm at the gym, it's a typical Tuesday night,  
Lifting the kind of weights he doesn't like,  
And he'll never know your family like I do.**_

Hana huffed, "Very funny." This was a team Jacob song so it was fun playing it near Hana since she was Team Edward. Hana gritted her teeth at the next lines.

_**But he sparkles and I'm so hairy,  
He's so sexy and I'm so scary.  
Dreaming about the day when you  
wake up and find that you hate vampires  
and love canines.**_

"At least Edward's sexy," Hana muttered. "And I do love canines!" The Haimaru brothers barked in union, as if they were telling Hana 'You better love us!' Kiba and I cracked up at her expression and Tsume chuckled next to her. As the second verse started, I heard Hana mutter something about 'New Moon' under her breath but I didn't understand. I sang along at the next lines and made sure the lyrics were very clear to Hana.

_**He's so pale, I'm so tan,  
He's kinda bitchy and I'm all man.**_

I made sure I stressed the word 'bitchy.' Hana shook her head and sighed; I guess she too remembered our conversation about 'Edward the sparkly bitch' back in college because soon she giggled after a while. She and Tsume joined Kiba and me at singing the chorus.

_**If you could see that I'm the wolf who understands you,  
been here all along so why can't you see?  
You belong with me.  
You can see that I'm the wolf who understands you,  
been here all along so why can't you see?  
You belong with me.**_

After the song ended, the Haimaru brothers and Akamaru barked in union. Kuromaru seemed to be amused with our craziness. Kiba then played 'Sexy Silk' by Jessie J and Hana squealed; her ears were turning red.

"Kiba, why do you even have that on your phone?!" Hana exclaimed.

"Problem?" He said cheekily.

"Yes," Hana said. "Now shut up and change the song!"

But he didn't. It was fun watching Hana's expression throughout the song. After the song ended, Tsume chose a song; 'I am not a whore' by LMFAO.

Even Hana couldn't resist the catchy beat of the song, no matter how dirty it was. I slapped high fives with Tsume and we all sang along.

We finally reached the beach. I stepped out and took in a whiff of the sea breeze. It was beautiful; golden sands, blue ocean and tall palms trees. I could see many people; a family on a picnic, girls out for sun bathing, boys playing in the water, couples strolling by the beach. I could even see a small bar of some sort, made of wood, where people got drinks from.

We got off and said goodbye to Hana as she drove away. The Haimaru brothers wanted to be at the beach too so they didn't go with Hana. Kiba and I dumped our bags in the sand and rushed for the water. I took off my pullover before I did. Akamaru and the Haimaru brothers came running after us.

Tsume simply laid two mats and set up an umbrella. She lied down on one of the mats and Kuromaru lied down on the other. She them took out her iPod and listened to some music while applying sun screen.

When I was looking at Tsume, Kiba took the time to splash a handful of water on my face. I glared at him and splashed him back but I only managed to hit his arm. We played water fight for a while. Teams were made; it was me, Nii and San vs. Kiba, Ichi and Akamaru. San did some wicked tail moves and splashed Kiba, straight in the face, with water. However the game ended in a tie.

We stopped to dry off and Kiba went off with the other boys at the beach for a game of volleyball. As I applied my sunscreen, some guys wolf whistled at me. I smiled back and blew them a kiss; I'm not a slut but I can play along. Heck, if I wanted to, I could've stormed over there and broken their jaws. But I didn't. But I could've . . .

After I was done applying sunscreen, I decided to take a stroll around the beach. I pulled out my shades and put them on. I pulled out the Twilight book from my bag.

Tsume saw it and raised an eyebrow, "You like vampire books?"

I shrugged, "Hana keeps telling me to read them so I might as well see once." I also grabbed an extra mat from Tsume's side.

I guess Ichi, Nii and San were feeling lethargic. Tsume laid out mats for them too. They joined Kuromaru under the shade of the umbrella and drank some water which Tsume poured for them in their bowls.

The beach was so full of life. I closed my eyes and listened to the happy voices of the people around. I then turned my gaze towards the sky. Today, there were no clouds (I double checked to make sure I was right, unlike the last time) and the sun was shining brightly.

After I was done with my walk, I laid my mat under a palm tree in a much quieter part of the beach. I sighed as I sat down and opened the Twilight book. I started to read.

I was a fast reader. I covered seven chapters. The story plot was okay; about a girl and a vampire and their love blossoming and stuff. I tried imagining Edward and Jacob in the book but Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner kept popping up in my mind. I sighed and used a bubble gum wrapper as a book mark; Hana hated doggy ears in her books' pages.

I looked around; everyone was getting a drink and chilling out and there wasn't much activity as before. I then noticed something orange near the edge of the water. Orange? I stood up straight and squinted my eyes; I could see orange, black, yellow and red. Odd huh? I realized that they were people and I could tell that one of them was Naruto.

I stood up and grabbed my things. I then headed towards where they were. As I got closer, I noticed that the others with him were Tobi, Sasori and Pein. I noticed that Sasori was wearing dark blue swimming trunks, Naruto was wearing green colored one and Tobi was wearing a black colored one. Pein was wearing white surfing shorts and a red t-shirt with a grey pullover.

I noticed that Tobi was sniffling and Naruto was shaking his head and patting Tobi on the back. I also noticed Sasori was holding a bunch of daffodils with an annoyed and slightly amused expression and Pein looked bored.

Sasori noticed me and smirked, "Hey Konan."

Pein, Naruto and Tobi turned towards me. I simply waved in response as I walked towards them. Tobi went back to crying and Naruto was tearing up too. I went and stood in between Sasori and Pein. I leaned towards Sasori, "What are we doing?"

"We are attending the funeral of Tobi's pet hamster." Sasori whispered back. He held up the daffodils as he did so.

"I don't get it," Pein muttered. "Some _people_ barely get funerals. How come a furry rodent gets one?"

"That's not nice," I told him. "Tobi is probably so hurt since he lost his pet. You should be comforting him."

"Why do I get the feeling this isn't your first animal funeral?" He replied as he raised an eyebrow.

He got me. I sighed, "Seventh grade. My goldfish died." Pein scoffed softly and shook his head. I rolled my eyes at him and walked towards Tobi.

I knelt beside him and patted his back, "Oh come on Tobi; don't cry. If you cry for him, he won't rest in peace."

"Isn't that for humans?" Sasori questioned, making Pein elbow him in the ribs to shut him up.

"T-T. . . Tobi wants Mika back!" Tobi started to wail.

I shushed him and gave him a hug. I then pulled away and looked at him, "Mika won't be happy seeing you like this. You'll get over this, Tobi. You can get a new pet."

"Yeah," Naruto said as he sniffled. "You can get a frog like me; Gamakichi will have a friend."

Tobi was silent for a while. Then he spoke up, "O-okay."

I grinned, "Now let's go in the shade; you might get a nosebleed from the sun if you stay here too long.

Tobi stood up and took the flowers from Sasori. He then tossed them in the water and turned towards me.

"Let's go to the shade." He announced. Naruto grinned and dragged Tobi away from the water. Tobi even bounced along. I sweat-dropped. These guys had mood changes like a pregnant woman.

Sasori let out a long sigh, "I'm glad that's over. I was frying out here."

Pein crossed his arms, "Itachi and Deidara are so lucky for missing this."

"Where'd they go?" I asked.

"Itachi went with his dad," said Sasori. "And Deidara is with Kurotsuchi; she's dragging him around for shopping." I couldn't help but grin at that comment.

"I didn't know you read books." Pein said monotonously as he looked at the Twilight book in my hands.

I rolled my eyes, "How do you think I got into college?"

"Come on guys. Let's get a drink; I feel like a fish out of water." said Sasori.

"Isn't that offensive to Kisame?" I couldn't help saying. Sasori and I laughed as we walked ahead. Pein shook his head and walked behind us.

Naruto and Tobi went to play in the sand so Sasori, Pein and I went to get some drinks. We sat down at one of the tables and I noticed that the girls at the beach were checking out Sasori and Pein and giving me dirty looks.

I pouted, "Great; even at the beach I have to deal with your fan girls."

Sasori chuckled, "I'm just glad you're not one of them."

I scoffed, "I can't see myself fan girling anyone."

"I can." Pein said with an amused expression. I simply stuck my tongue out at him.

"So is Hana with you?" Sasori asked me.

I gave him a sly grin which made him look away with a dust of pink on his cheeks. I laughed, "No, she went to a zoo. Something about completing an assignment."

Pein smirked, "Don't be so disappointed, Sasori."

Sasori glared at him, "Shut up."

I laughed and messed up his red hair with my hand, "Awww you're blushing! So cute!" Sasori looked away and I could notice his blush darken a bit. I couldn't help but pinch his cheeks. He glared playfully at me and caressed his cheek gently.

I then took a sip from my strawberry milkshake and sighed, "So what are you guys up to nowadays?"

"Well I just got back from Suna yesterday," said Sasori. "So I'd ask the same to you two."

"Meh, random stuff," I told him with a shrug. "Shopping, Movies, Karaoke etc, etc."

Sasori pouted, "Looks like you had more fun than me."

I grinned, "Come on! Suna couldn't have been _that_ bad."

"My grandma kept fooling me," Sasori mumbled. "I thought she was dead but it was a trick. She scared me three times with the same old trick."

I laughed, "Dude, you have one cool grandma."

"Well, Chiyo-baa-sama does have an incredibly strong grip." Pein muttered as he brought his hand to his cheek and rubbed it slightly. I snickered; looks like I'm not the only one who goes pinching people.

"What about you?" I said as I raised an eyebrow at Pein. "I haven't seen you since that time at Konoha High."

Pein shrugged, "The usual."

I rolled my eyes, "Oh yes. I know very well what you do every single day." Pein simply gave me a cocky smirk.

"Hey guys." said a voice. It was Akatsuchi. He was smiling at us and was wearing a black t-shirt and a beige colored pant with white sneakers. He was also carrying a red and black Nike backpack.

"Hey Akatsuchi!" I said with a grin. Pein and Sasori nodded in greeting.

"Akatsuchi, will you please get me some ice?" said another voice. I choked violently on my milkshake and fell off of the chair I was sitting on when I realized just who that person was.

**Was it okay? I'm seriously praying right now for your approval. And I had to make this a cliffie. My fingers are frozen and I couldn't type. Tee hee. Stay tuned for the next chapter (for PeinKonan and SasoHana)**


	22. Chapter 22

**Sorry for the delay guys. I was adding SasoHana and PeinKonan here. This chapter is dedicated to two people:**

**1) Konan-chan (InnocentBlossom), this chapter is dedicated to you. Thank you for reminding me about SasoHana PeinKonan before I went overboard with DeiKonan lol. You are one of my closest FFN friends!**

**2) Chicky is back safe and sound from Delhi. Even if we were miles and miles away, she has always been there for me so this one is for your comeback Chicky!**

**Enjoy!**

**CHAPTER 22**

I turned deep red as the people around laughed at me. I simply smiled sheepishly in their direction and sat back down like nothing happened. I then turned my attention back to the person who was standing next to Akatsuchi.

"Konan-chan, stop being so clumsy." Hana chided as she took a seat between Sasori and Pein. I sat there gaping at her like a fish. Her hair was disheveled and one of the sleeves of her black shirt was torn, exposing her arm and a bit of her back. Her skirt was now covered in dirt and her glasses were out of place. Her Inuzuka tattoos, which were drawn with special face paint from her clan and was impossible to rub off without a makeup remover (believe me I know) was now smudged. She had a bruise on her cheek and a scratch on her chin. Another weird thing was that she had yogurt in her hair, her face and on her clothes too.

"What happened?" Sasori asked with a frown.

"Yeah," I said to her. "You look like you had sex with a monkey by the yogurt machine. I guess it's true; wild things do happen at the zoo."

I earned myself a hard punch in the arm. She sighed and massaged her temples, "I did not have sex with a monkey by the yogurt machine. I'm a virgin, thank you very much. I just . . . had an accident?"

"Accident?" Pein questioned as he raised an eyebrow at her. Hana smiled sheepishly and shook her head, as if she was saying that it was nothing.

"Spill it Hana." I told her as I crossed my arms.

Akatsuchi came back and gently pressed a pack of ice on Hana's bruise. Hana winced at first but then sighed with relief and thanked Akatsuchi. Akatsuchi gave a small smile and sheepishly sat next to me. I noticed that he was chewing furiously on his bottom lip.

"Back to the subject," Sasori said as brushed Hana's hair away from her eyes. Hana was blushing like mad. I would have teased them but we were still talking about something here. "What happened to you wifey?"

Hana smiled at him, "It's nothing. I just fell and knocked over a yogurt machine at the café?"

I rolled my eyes, "Yeah and the yogurt machine decided to rape you so he tore off your sleeve, correct?" Next to me Akatsuchi was making weird noises and was shaking slightly. He was still chewing madly on his bottom lip, which was trembling. That was weird; I've never seen him this way before.

Hana twiddled her thumbs together, "I had . . . an accident with the door as well?"

"I would believe you if your answers weren't questions." Pein stated.

Hana pouted, "Pein-san, can't you be on my side?"

"What's wrong, Akatsuchi?" Sasori asked suddenly.

The big guy was now covering his mouth with his large hands and was making the kind of noise someone would make if they were gagged. Something was definitely suspicious. I raised an eyebrow at him, "Akatsuchi . . . are you hiding something?"

"Of course not," Hana piped in. She gave a nervous laugh. "Why would you say-"

"Hana went into gangster chick mode!" Akatsuchi burst out suddenly. He then turned to Hana as he stood up. "I'm sorry Hana; I am oh so shaken with what my eyes witnessed today!"

Hana let out a sigh as she dropped her head on the table. We were all still processing the info we had received from Akatsuchi, who now seemed to be quivering in excitement. Hana put her face in her palm. Pein broke the awkward silence.

"Gangster," Pein started to say.

"Chick," Sasori said slowly.

"Mode?" I finished.

Hana groaned, "I did not go into gangster chick mode . . . whatever that is."

"If you went any further, that girl would have been hospitalized!" Akatsuchi exclaimed. At the same time, he looked very excited; like a kid waiting in line for a ride on the rollercoaster.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," I said as I raised my hands to silence them. "What girl?"

Akatsuchi made a sound that sounded like a whining made by a playful puppy who wants to play fetch. Hana sighed and nodded, "Go ahead; tell them."

Akatsuchi's expression changed to delighted and he turned to us, "I was at the zoo, looking at the animals and I met Hana, who was doing her assignment and after she was done, we decided to go to a fast food place to get something to eat."

"That sounds perfectly normal," Sasori pointed out. He looked at Hana with concern. "How did wifey end up like that?"

"We were eating yogurt and I went to get our orders," Akatsuchi said with a wide grin. "Then this guy came up to Hana and started to flirt with Hana. I didn't bother them thinking Hana might like the guy."

"I do not like the guy; he was a total creep." Hana muttered. Sasori simply smirked but I knew that he was relieved on the inside.

"He tried to kiss Hana!" Akatsuchi said as he threw his arms in the air, dramatically.

"What?" said Sasori who seemed shocked and angry.

"So you are in that state because you . . . had sex with the guy by the yogurt machine?" I asked as I tilted my head.

"Are you that forgetful? She said she was still a virgin." Pein said flatly. He ignored the look I gave him and turned to Hana. "That is true right?"

Hana blushed, "No1 I mean yes! I mean I am still a virgin."

"So he kissed you?" I asked slyly.

"That's the thing," Akatsuchi beamed. "He was about to kiss her but something happened. Apparently, the guy already had a girlfriend and she pulled Hana away and punched her. That's why she has a bruise on her cheek."

"What a bitch," I said as I shook my head. "But that doesn't answer how Hana ended up like that." I gestured to my best friend.

"That girl called Hana a lot of awful names and insulted her clan and family," Akatsuchi said slowly. Hana was clenching her fists and I doubt she realized it. "Hana went bananas."

After a short moment of silence, I burst into laughter. Sasori chuckled while Pein smirked with amusement. Hana pouted and looked away. I almost fell off the chair again but this time I held onto the edge of the table to support myself. After I calmed myself down a bit, I turned to Hana.

"You got into a fight," I said between snickers. "And you're a mess! Man, I thought I was the untamed beast!"

Hana huffed, "Well it was her _boyfriend_ who made a move on me, not the other way around. How dare she insult my family?!"

"So what happened to the girl?" I asked Akatsuchi with a wide grin on my face.

Akatsuchi grinned back, "Well the owner of the store stopped the fight but didn't lecture them or anything. He was scared out of his skin, I guess. We are banned from ever going to the yogurt shop though. And the boyfriend, he ran away."

I laughed and reached out to ruffle Hana's already messy hair, "That's my minion." Hana rolled her eyes at my comment.

I heard some chuckles and snickers from nearby and I saw that the people were making fun of Hana. The girls insulted her indirectly, making me glare in their direction. Why can't they just mind their own business?

Hana's shirt had torn further on its own and now exposed the thin white vest and the outline of her black sports bra from the back. The boys wolf whistled and said a lot of indecent things to her, making her flush with embarrassment and sink down further into the chair, trying to cover her back. I glared at them but they ignored me and some even started their stupid call-outs at me.

They immediately stopped and turned away awkwardly and I saw turned to see Sasori glaring coldly in their direction. If looks could kill, those losers would be drowning in their own blood by now. But I felt another glare. I turned to Pein and he turned to look at me at the same time.

I almost lost myself in his hypnotizing eyes; it had been quite a while since I've gazed into them. Before I could lose myself in his eyes, I looked away. I pulled of my pullover and put it around Hana. She smiled at me in thanks.

Hana fixed her hair into a messy ponytail and rubbed her temples, "This is a disaster."

"It's cute; you really are one tough cookie, wifey." Sasori said with a small smile. He then leaned down and kissed her cheek tenderly, making Pein raise his eyebrow, Akatsuchi gasp and me squeal (what is wrong with me?).

Hana turned tomato red and had a look of complete surprise on her face. Sasori licked his lips and grinned innocently, "What? You had yogurt on your face." The comment made Hana turn even redder.

"Hana-chan!" Tobi yelled as he tackled Hana with a hug from behind. Naruto caught up with him soon. Kiba was with him and he grinned at us.

"Hey guys," he said to us. He then looked at Hana and raised an eyebrow as he crossed his arms. "What in the world happened to you, sissy?"

Akatsuchi raised his hand like a student wanting to tell the correct answer and he told the story all over again to Naruto, Tobi and Kiba who cracked up like hell. Hana rolled her eyes and blushed when Sasori chuckled and put an arm around her.

I pouted, "Such awesome moments between you two and I don't have a camera on me!"

Hana sighed with relief, "I'm so glad that you're in a bikini." I glared playfully at her and she laughed at my expression.

"About that," Sasori said with a smirk. "I never thought you'd be one to wear . . . that."

I stuck my tongue out at him, "It's not like I had a choice!"

"Well you look smoking!" Naruto said with a grin. I smiled at him in thanks. He then nudged Pein with his elbow. "Ne, Nii-san Konan-chan looks awesome in that bikini right?"

Pein looked at him, "What are you getting at?"

Naruto looked at him with mischief twinkling in his eyes, "Oh don't act like that Na- I mean Pein-nii! I bet you are getting oh so hot just looking at her!"

Hana, Kiba, Tobi and Akatsuchi broke out laughing while Sasori chuckled and gave Pein a smug look. Pein smacked his brother on the back of his head and I joined him. The blonde boy was laughing so hard that he didn't even complain. I felt my face turn red.

"Konan-chan, you're blushing!" Hana said cheekily. She pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of me. I chased her around the table but I failed to catch her.

I sat back down on the chair and pouted, "I hate you guys."

Sasori pinched my cheeks hard, "We love you too." I rubbed my cheek and glared at him playfully. He simply grinned in response.

"Well mom said we should head back now," said Kiba. "Hana, I think you should go home first."

"I'll drive you." Sasori offered.

Hana looked at him, "I don't want to be a burden."

Sasori chuckled, "Nonsense. You're not a trouble at all, wifey."

Hana blushed and mumbled a small 'thanks'. I stood up, "Okay, so Hana will go home with and change while we take the van and head over to the seafood restaurant."

Sounds good," said Kiba. He held out his hand to Hana. "Keys please."

Hana handed him the keys and as she did so, I crossed my arms, "No fair! I'm the only one in the family who can't drive and I'm older than both of you."

"Too bad!" Hana and Kiba said together in a sing-song voice. I stuck my tongue out at them.

"Well we'll be leaving now." Sasori said as he stood up and took Hana's hand as they walked away. I could see Hana's blush even from the distance.

Kiba raised an eyebrow, "He's Hana's boyfriend?"

"He might be in the future," I said with a chuckle. I turned to Pein, Tobi and Naruto. "Well I'll see you guys around."

Pein simply grunted and Naruto and Tobi waved as they called out in union, "BYE!"

Kiba and I explained to Tsume about Hana and Tsume, unlike any other mother who would be worried sick, laughed and shook her head, "That's my Hana. She's growing up!" I couldn't agree more.

We didn't need to go home since we already brought our change of clothes so we simply headed for the bathrooms. I was now wearing a black hoodie and grey skinny jeans and my flip flops. I put my hair in its usual ponytail and fixed my origami in my hair.

Kiba was wearing a grey jacket over a white t-shirt and jeans with sneakers. Tsume was wearing a black Green Day t-shirt and jean shorts with her leather slippers.

We went to a nice seafood restaurant I immediately ordered oysters. I love oysters! Kiba and Tsume got crab and we ordered prawns for Hana since she adores them. The Inuzuka canines went home on their own. Tsume said it was good exercise for them.

Hana joined us shortly after ordering and she was now wearing a red sweater over a cream colored blouse and jeans with black flats. She had drawn on her clan symbols on her cheeks again and her hair was fixed. I could tell she had showered since her hair was wet. However, I doubt that showering was the reason for her bright red cheeks.

I grinned, "Something happened between you and Sasori?" Hana turned even redder and shook her head. She sent me a look which no one but I saw. She wanted to talk about it later. I gave a small nod in response.

It was awesome. I ended up eating five plates of oysters and some of Hana's prawns. Kiba and Tsume had a crab eating contest where both of them ended up choking and fighting for the glass of water. I made a video too. After I was full, I felt restless. I wanted to go to the beach again. I sent Hana a text telling her that we would talk about Sasori later. She simply gulped and nodded shakily without anyone noticing.

I told Tsume that I wanted to see the beach again so I was going to walk there. She told me to call her to pick me up. I thanked her and headed towards the beach. My flip flops were restricting me from running so I took it easy and walked there.

It was even more beautiful at night. The moon cast its beautiful reflection on the water and a few stars blinked shyly in the sky. Behind me, I could hear Konoha's people, lost in a magical world of their own. As I walked along the sandy beach, I took off my flip flops and held it in my hand, letting my feet graze the warm sand.

I then realized that I was singing. I smiled softly and continued. I couldn't help but sing the Japanese song my mom just to sing to me when I was little.

_**Kimi no koto kirai nii  
Naretara ii no nii  
Kyou mitai na  
Hi Ni wa kitto  
Mattamomoidashite shimau yo**_

_**Mou wasureyou  
Kimi no koto zenbu  
Konna ni mo kanashikute  
Doushite deatteshimatan darou?**_

_**Me wo tojireba  
Ima mo kimi ga  
Soku ni iru yo de**_

I smiled as I remembered my mother's voice but then it faltered and I sighed. I missed my parents terribly, even if I never showed it on the outside. I then shook my head; I came here with happy thoughts and I should ruin that.

I felt really tired too. I stumbled and fell on the soft sand but I didn't bother getting up. It was really comfortable to be honest. I would mind just dozing off here . . .

"Well you seem comfortable." said an oh so familiar voice. I sat up to see Pein looking down at me with an amused expression.

I got up and dusted my clothes, "Just . . . resting."

Pein sighed, "Well I don't know why I find you at all of my favorite places anywhere."

It took me about three seconds to realize what he was talking about. Then I grinned, "Well I guess I was born to annoy the hell out of you."

"I'm starting to believe that as well." Pein said as he shook his head.

I gave him a salute, "See ya." I started to walk but my sleepiness made me fall again but this time, a pair of strong arms caught me.

I heard Pein sigh, "You are so troublesome, you know that?"

I gave him a lazy grin, "You sound like Shikamaru . . ." My eye lids were now drooping. I suddenly felt myself being hoisted up onto Pein's back.

My eyes widened and I felt myself heating up, "What the hell are you doing?!"

"You are too tired to carry yourself." Pein said as he wrapped my legs around his waist. I blushed deeper and fought him but his hold was too strong so in the end I gave up and dropped my chin on his shoulder.

His body was firm and strong and . . . bumpy? Wait, that can't be right. I must have been imagining it. He smelled of cinnamon and mint and the scent invaded my nose. I sighed and looked ahead; I could see the lights of the city of Konoha shining beautifully and brightly.

"You need to lose weight." I heard Pein mutter.

I rolled my eyes, "Why are you carrying me then?"

"Because you can't carry yourself." He said and ended our conversation. I pouted and leaned on his back. We did not talk but the silence was not an awkward one; it was rather comfortable. I went back to staring at the city lights.

"It's beautiful." I whispered to myself.

"I guess so." Pein replied quietly.

I felt my traitor eyes droop slowly, no matter how many times I told myself I was on Pein's back and I couldn't sleep. The temptation was too strong so I gave up. I felt my lips move on their own and whisper words, I did not hear, quietly to Pein before drifting off to dreamland, "Thank you . . . Yahiko."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Pein stopped moving and glanced at the girl on his back. His whole body stiffened and he felt worry rush throughout his body. Perhaps he was mistaken. Maybe she said something else. But his heart and mind refused to believe what he had heard from Konan's lips.

_Yahiko._

She had said the name. He didn't understand. How did she know that name? It wasn't supposed to be. She wouldn't remember. She couldn't . . .

He looked at the girl on his back and saw her eyes were closed and her chest moved rhythmically on his back, indicating she had already been embraced by deep slumber. He sighed; he had to take her home. Her family must be worried.

He lifted her up properly and walked towards his car, hoping, _praying_ (And they called him God), all the way that Konan would not remember anymore about that name or the story that circulated around that name.

**Ooh! Cliffie. A big fat one! So how is it? By the way, that song is one of the Naruto Shippuden Endings (A SasuSaku one!) and instead of Konan, it is actually Sakura but I changed some stuff. Read and review! **


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23 is now done! So guys, I was wondering . . . should I make a sequel to this story? Let me know because your decision will matter A LOT on where this story is heading. Let me know ASAP! PM me okay? **

**About the cliffie in the last chapter, all my reviewers must be curious about Pein and Konan's relationship. Well time will reveal everything my amigos! Don't worry. You just keep reading LOL!**

**Konan-chan, I'm glad you like it. Thank you for the kind words. ILY!~**

**Sadly Chicky and the boys are busy. But they'll join us very soon. I miss you guys!**

**Also, remember my fanfiction 'Summer Breeze?' (Please read it mm'kay? Review appreciated.) My friend wrote it but then he didn't join so we posted it through my account. He has now joined FFN and will be posting an awesome story. It's called 'River Never Comes Back' and it will be posted real soon (I'll let you guys know) so stay tuned.**

**Enjoy!**

**CHAPTER 23**

I found myself in the dark again. It's funny that I always end up here from time to time. Maybe I should call myself 'The Dark Lady' or 'She Who Embraces the Dark.' Oh gosh, that sounded dorky.

So here I am; drifting around in an endless black abyss; no sign of life anywhere. Maybe I was dreaming of a dreamless sleep . . . if that makes sense. But yeah, here I was; in a black void of nothing. That was when I heard the guitar music again.

It was much stronger this time and it was beautiful. It was soft and melodious but at the same time it was mysterious and had this tune that made it seem like it was telling a story. A person was singing along with the guitar but the voice was a simple murmur and the words went unheard. I managed to catch some words; tears_, shadows, leave, alone, tonight, eyes, hurt, light, safe._

It seemed so sad. The words were all of sorrow and pain except for 'light' and 'safe' but even so, the melody was soft and slow. I wanted to hear more but suddenly, I found myself being enveloped by darkness. The shadows reached out and wrapped itself around my body.

I tried to break free but failed miserably. The shadows tightened its grip around my neck, restricting the air to flow into my lungs and I felt myself being pulled down by an unknown force. But even in my struggle, I did not miss the voice that spoke.

"_Konan, you're the most amazing person in this whole world!"_

I woke up and I realized that my whole body was covered in sweat. My breathing was ragged but I was okay. I was confused; that voice . . . it was beautiful and the person, to whom the voice belonged to, said I was the most amazing person in the world. But why did the dream seem so . . . sad?

I was back in my room and I was in the lower bunk of the bed. I was wearing one of Hana's white cotton nightdresses. I groaned and lay back on the bed. What happened last night? I remember the beach and then the sea food restaurant. I had then gone to the beach where I met Pein and he . . . oh Gods! He carried me! I fell asleep on his back. I felt the heat creep up onto my cheeks.

"Morning sleepy head." Hana said as she looked down at me from the top bunker. She smiled at me but there was something mischievous in it.

I sighed, "It's not what you think."

"I didn't say anything," said Hana, acting like she was hurt. She then grinned. "So . . . you fell asleep on his back huh?"

I sat up and buried my head in my hands, "That's so embarrassing!"

Hana giggled, "It's so cute. And Pein-san seemed very concerned about you."

I rolled my eyes, "He kept complaining about my weight being too heavy; that jerk!"

Hana laughed. She then stopped and looked at me, "Konan-chan, did you say anything to Pein-san?"

I raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

"He seemed bothered and . . . sort of distracted when he dropped you here." Hana said as she looked at me carefully.

I thought about what Hana said. I knew something came out of my mouth during my sleepy trance and apparently, Pein heard it. The problem was I didn't know what I had said. I did know I said a name but when I thought about it, trying to think of what it could be, it just gave my head a lot of pain.

I groaned and clutched my head. Hana climbed down and sat next to me. She rubbed my back soothingly, "Konan-chan, are you okay?"

"Yeah," I said shakily. "I had a sudden pain in my head. And about that Pein thing, I have no idea what I said to him. I know I said . . . something but I can't remember what. Damn it my head hurts."

"You've been having dreams again," Hana stated simply. She climbed into bed with me."Want to talk about it?"

I sighed and nodded slowly as I massaged my temples. I had to talk about it with _somebody _and who else is better than my best friend and sister? I told her about the voice in my dream, the guitar music, the words and the darkness and shadows which strangled me. I didn't realize I was trembling until Hana took my hands in hers and rubbed it slowly, calming me down.

"It will be okay," said Hana. "Your dream is slowly unraveling itself. You'll know about it soon. Don't be so bothered by it okay?"

I smiled at her and nodded. I then shook my head, "It seems like you had fun sleeping in my bed yesterday."

Hana grinned, "Well we couldn't put you up there so we put you in my bed and I slept in yours. You should call Pein-san and thank him, Konan-chan."

I gulped silently; that was going to be awkward, especially since I fell asleep on his back. Hana laughed at my expression and gave my hands a squeeze, "Don't worry about it; nothing's going to happen."

"I don't have his number?" I said dumbly.

"We could ask Deidara-san, Itachi-kun, Tobi or Sasori-kun." said Hana. She then flushed red and cleared her throat awkwardly. That's when I remembered . . .

"What happened between Sasori and you yesterday?" I asked her slowly. My question made her blush furiously. "Spill it, Hana."

"Well," she started to say. "He dropped me off home and helped me with my stuff as well. Then . . ."

"What happened?" I asked excitedly.

"H-he leaned down . . . and almost kissed me." She said as she covered her face with her hands.

I was grinning like an idiot and I let out a small squeal. I then processed her words in my head. I looked at her, "Almost?"

"Kurotsuchi-chan called me, telling me something about Deidara-san and a cat and . . . S-Sasori-kun and I . . . well we didn't . . . you know." She said softly. I slapped my forehead with my palm; I was so going to kill Kurotsuchi. Sasori and Hana were going to kiss. KISS! Way to ruin the moment!

"Anyways," said Hana as she tucked her hair behind her ear. "Let's get dressed and head downstairs for breakfast; I'm starving."

She then got out of bed and headed for the bathroom. In the meantime, I changed my clothes. I was too lazy to shower and I was clean enough so I slipped on a red long-sleeved shirt and faded jeans and put on my red converse. Hana had kept my origami on the computer table so I fixed my hair and put my origami in place as well. I put on a pale grey stud.

Hana came out of the bathroom after a while, fresh and dressed in a brown long-sleeved shirt and jeans. She had drawn on her clan symbols on her cheeks and her hair was wet but tied in a loose and messy ponytail. I went in to wash up.

I brushed my teeth and washed my face properly. The cold water washed away the sleep and drowsiness in my eyes and after I was done, I dried my face and stepped out. Hana was tying the laces of her sneakers so I waited for her. As I was waiting, I couldn't help but notice the cherry blossom tree again.

It looked so beautiful and majestic and I couldn't help but think about the one in my dream from some time back. Suddenly, something flashed before my eyes; a flash of grey. I almost lost my balance and fell but I used the door as support. My mind was throbbing madly and it felt like my head was going to fall off.

Hana rushed over and steadied me, "Konan-chan, what's wrong?"

I shook my head, dazed, "That was weird; one second I was looking out the window and the next thing I see grey."

"Grey?" Hana asked.

I nodded meekly, "My vision just . . . faded and all I could see was grey."

Hana gave my shoulders a squeeze, "Let's eat something. You'll feel much better after we get some food into your system."

I didn't argue and I let Hana usher me down to the kitchen. Kiba was already there in his lime green Nike t-shirt and batman pajama pants with his hair wild and unruly as he ate his cereal. Tsume cooking something over the stove and was wearing a ratty maroon colored t-shirt with black skinny jeans and my baby blue flip flops, the one I wore to the beach.

She gave us a boyish grin, "Good morning girls."

"Morning." Hana and I replied I union.

"Konan, sweetie, are you feeling okay?" Tsume said softly.

I smiled and nodded, "Yeah. Thanks Tsume-san."

I was about to pour myself a bowl of cereal but Tsume stopped me. She took the cereal away, "No cereal. I'm cooking something else for you, sweetie."

"Can I have the cereal then?" asked Hana. Tsume passed the box to her.

She grinned and went back to cooking. After about five minutes, she placed a bowl of soup in front of me. She chuckled sheepishly, "Well Pein suggested that you drink some soup; I don't know who it is though. He said you were pretty tired and you passed out."

Hana snickered and leaned over to whisper to me, "I told you he was concerned about you." I blushed and shoved her away. Kiba chuckled and something told me he would team up with Naruto to embarrass me more.

The soup was a bit flat tasted but it was nice and thick with chunks of carrots, peas, potatoes and other veggies. Nevertheless, I ate three bowls. I was really hungry.

"You owe Pein a 'thanks', Konan." Kiba said cheekily.

"Don't remind me," I muttered. I sighed and looked at Hana. "Have you seen my phone?"

"I think you should thank him in person," said Tsume. I looked at her, confused. "Well I was going to drop something off to Kushina's and you could come with me. You could meet Pein there. You can thank him too."

"That sounds like a good plan!" Hana beamed. Kiba nodded eagerly in agreement.

"Fine," I said with a huff. "I'll go but I'll go alone with you, Tsume-san. I don't want you guys teasing me and making me look awkward." The Inuzuka siblings simply rolled their eyes at me.

"I'm going to complete my assignment, this time with Tobi, so obviously I can't join you." Hana said with a shrug.

"I have basketball practice." Kiba said after swallowing a mouthful of cereal.

I stuck my tongue out at them, "That's fine with me!"

Tsume chuckled, "Wait here; I'll get the package."

Kiba stood up and put his bowl in the sink. He then turned and grinned at us, "Well I have to get ready for basketball practice; I'm getting late. Have fun Konan!"

I groaned and stood up. I took Hana's empty bowl along with mine and dumped them in the sink. Hana said the same thing Kiba did as she waved cheerfully and left the room to get her things. I sat back down at the table and waited for Tsume.

My phone buzzed so I pulled it out of my pocket. I saw who was calling and glared at the screen. We had some serious talking to do.

"_Hope you are feeling better."_ Kurotsuchi's voice came from the other end.

"Yup." I said flatly.

"_Well you won't believe what happened yesterday!"_ She said in a fit of chuckles.

"I'm sure I won't." I said slowly.

She kept saying something about Deidara and a stray cat causing trouble but it was hard to hear what she was saying since she burst into laughter every now and then. I was still mad at her for ruining the moment between Hana and Sasori.

"_You are unusually quiet,"_ she noted. _"What's up?"_

"You ruined their moment." I hissed.

"_Huh?"_ Kurotsuchi said, confused.

"Yesterday," I started to say. "Sasori and Hana were about to kiss but your call interrupted!"

I heard her curse, _"Gah! I hate myself sometimes for my careless timing, damn it!"_

I sighed, "Maybe it was best. I mean Sasori is a cool guy but Hana should be together with Itachi in the end; he's her prince Charming after all."

"_Uh no freaking way,"_ Kurotsuchi said nosily. _"Itachi is cute but he's not meant for Hana. She is so going to date Sasori."_

"Itachi!"

"_Sasori!"_

"Itachi!"

"_Sasori!"_

"Itachi!"

"_Sasori! Wanna bet Sharpie?"_ She used Deidara's nickname for me.

"Bring it on, Midget." Two can play at that game.

"_Fine! Loser has to wear something selected by the winner."_

"For a week!"

"_Deal!" _

"Deal!" After a brief silence, we both started to laugh.

Kurotsuchi sighed, _"Anyways, stop by afterwards if you can. Oops, got to go. It is my turn to do the dishes. Ciao!" _

And with that she hung up. I shook my head and sighed; now I have to do everything in my power to make sure Hana and Itachi end up together. I am not going down without a fight. God knows what Kurotsuchi would make me wear if I lost. Keyword: if. I'm not giving up!

Tsume came back with a medium-sized rectangular object which was wrapped in a pretty silver paper. Tsume grinned sheepishly, "Konan, I'm afraid I have another job to do. Can you walk to their address? I'm really sorry."

I shook my head, "No it's okay. I want to walk. It will help me freshen up a bit."

Tsume grinned at me, "Thanks sweetheart. Tell Kushina that it's her very late birthday gift won't you?"

I nodded and took the object from her. She wrote down their address on a piece of paper and handed it to me. I bid Tsume goodbye and went out of the house. I took my time to walk to Pein's house.

The day was as bright and cheerful as usual and I was now getting use to this bright weather. I did miss the rain back in Ame but I could live with the sunshine of Konoha. I wonder if I'll get to see my rainbow here . . .

I arrived at my desired destination. I was amazed; it was just like Itachi's house, a large mansion but it was a pale yellow in color. It had beautiful flowers growing around along with some cherry tomatoes. The whole place gave off a nice and homely atmosphere. How can someone as moody as Pein live in a cheerful place like this?

I took a sharp inhale of air and knocked on the door as I exhaled. I heard a lot of banging and a woman yelling. I vaguely wondered what was happening inside. After a while, the door opened and I was baffled by the person I saw.

The woman was beautiful with long red hair that looked so smooth that I was tempted to run my fingers through them. Her eyes were a purplish-blue in color, a lighter shade of my hair. She was wearing a white blouse underneath her long, green spaghetti strapped dress.

She smiled kindly at me, "Hello."

"Uh hi," I said to her. "I'm Konan and I-"

The woman gasped and hugged me immediately. This was just like when Hana and I first met Mikoto. The woman then pulled away and grinned, "Yes I know. Tsume called, a few minutes earlier, and told me about you. Oh you are such a beautiful young girl."

I blushed, "Thank you."

"Please come in." She said as she took my wrist and led me inside. Once we stepped inside, we were in thieving room. There was a large flat screen T.V on the wall, which was painted so it looked like it was made of stone and a low round glass table in the center which was surrounded by plush maroon sofas.

The floor was carpeted with a soft beige colored carpet and the large French windows had the same color curtains as the carpet. There was a fireplace in the corner along with shelves lined with beautiful glass decorations and a crystal chandelier hung from the center of the ceiling. There were wooden stairs that led upstairs and a doorway to the right which led to a hallway, having more rooms and doors to the mansion.

She sat down on the sofa and patted the spot next to her, gesturing for me to sit down. I sat next to the beautiful woman. She laughed and held out her hand for a handshake, "Forgive me Konan-chan; I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Uzumaki Kushina."

"Hello Uzumaki-san." I said as I shook her hand.

She laughed again and shook her head, "No, no. Please call me Kushina. No need for formalities, my dear."

"Kushina-san." I said with a smile. She gave me a smile in return as well.

"DAMN YOU!" I heard a loud voice yell. Kushina and I both turned to see Naruto falling down the stairs, wearing a large yellow t-shirt and green boxers. He was holding a pillow and was glaring towards the top of the stairs.

At the top of the stairs was Pein standing calmly with a bored expression, wearing a black long-sleeved shirt and jeans with black Vans, holding a mug of what looked like coffee or tea. He rolled his eyes, "Stop being a lazy ass; I thought you had practice today."

"Crap I-" Naruto started to say. He then saw me. "Konan?"

Pein turned towards me and raised an eyebrow. I felt my ears turn red as I grinned sheepishly at them, "Hey guys."

"It's surprising seeing you here," Naruto said sheepishly. "Sorry; we are kinda . . . messed up."

"Since when do you have manners?" Pein said as he came downstairs.

Naruto stuck his tongue out at him, "Shut up Mr. I-have-a-pole-shoved-up-my-ass!"

"You baka stop being so loud."

"You're the baka not me 'tebayo!"

Kushina hit them both on the head. Naruto cried out in pain while Pein simple winced and muttered a small 'Itai!' I couldn't help but let a snicker escape my lips.

"Both of you bakas shut up and behave 'tebane!" Kushina said with her hands on her hips. She then gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. She looked at me and laughed nervously. "Sorry Konan-chan. I have a bad habit of saying 'tebane when I get excited or anxious."

I smiled, "Don't worry about it."

"That's where Naruto get's his habit of saying 'tebayo." A new voice said. It belonged to a man who looked like the older version of Naruto, who descended down from the stairs. He had the same spiky blond hair and blue eyes but he lacked the whisker-like marks on his face. He was wearing a dark blue shirt with black track pants and was barefoot.

He smiled kindly as he held out his hand, "Namikaze Minato. But please, call me Minato okay?"

"Konan. Just call me Konan?" I said dumbly as I shook his warm hand. I ignored the quizzical look Pein gave me.

"Naruto, aren't you late for basketball practice?" Kushina asked.

"Oh yeah!" Naruto yelled as he dashed up the stairs. 'See ya later Konan!"

Kushina sighed, "I wonder where he gets his hyper activeness from."

"You." Minato and Pein said at the same time.

Kushina pouted, "Whatever 'tebane!" She covered her mouth and blushed as she ran upstairs after her son.

Minato chuckled, "Well now then, Na- Pein, show Konan around the house. I'll be in the kitchen if you need me. It was nice meeting you Konan." I bowed politely and then he left.

I slowly turned to Pein who was staring at me. Oo-kay this was awkward. I cleared my throat, "So . . . about yesterday."

"What about it?" He said flatly. Damn him for being so cool. Wait, I didn't mean it like that! I meant . . . oh forget it!

"Thank you." I mumbled.

Pein smirked, "What was that?" Damn cocky jerk!

"Thank you for taking me home yesterday." I said loudly as I looked him in the eyes. His eyes were as hypnotizing and beautiful as always. We just kept looking at each other. None of us said a word.

"You're welcome." He said finally.

He turned to leave but I stopped him, "Did I say anything to you last night . . . before I fell asleep?" Asking that was really weird and I felt like a loser. And was it me or did Pein stiffen for a second.

"You thanked me." He said simply as he started walking again.

I tilted my head; that was it? I didn't say any name? Maybe I was hallucinating. Maybe I had just imagined it. Maybe I was already in dreamland then.

"Are you coming or not?" He asked as he stood, with his back facing me, from the doorway.

"Yeah." I said as I caught up with him.

**So yeah I brought Kushina and Minato in it as well. There will be more Namikaze family scenes in the next chapters and a lot of PeinKonan too. Stay tuned!**


	24. Chapter 24

**Hey yo. Honestly net service at my house is really crappy and it totally sucks but what the heck? Use it when it works and take full advantage eh?**

**So yeah Chicky, stop being a Moody Ass like Pein and be patient. The story will open up soon okay? And Konan-chan, welcome back!**

**CHAPTER 24**

The household was amazing! Pein showed me around the mansion; there as an indoor pool, library, a grand dining room and my favorite the large backyard. It was a garden full of beautiful sweet-smelling flowers and lush green grass. There was double swing and a garden tool shed too. A beautiful apple tree grew tall and majestic.

We were in the garden and I was sitting on the swing. Pein crossed his arms, "Aren't you a bit too old for that?"

I grinned cheekily, "You're never too old to swing." I started to swing myself back and forth, enjoying the feeling of the wind in my hair. When I was younger, I would pretend I was flying through the clouds.

I heard someone sit down next to me. I turned to see Pein sit on the second swing. He looked at me and shrugged. I laughed and started to swing back and forth again. Pein joined me but he went at a slower pace.

I closed my eyes and smiled, "This brings back memories."

"Of what?" asked Pein.

I was about to tell him about me and Hana back in middle school when we used to swing in the park after classes were over but something flashed before my eyes.

It was like a scene in a movie. It wasn't clear but it was clear enough for me to make out a couple of things. In Ame Park, on the same swing I used to sit on before, was a girl with short dark blue hair laughing as a boy with rebelliously spiked orange hair pushed her higher and higher.

I found myself falling from the swing but before I hit the ground flat on my face, Pein caught me and sat me back down on the swing. He frowned as he looked at me, "What happened?"

I blinked rapidly, "I don't know. I just . . . saw something."

"Like what?" He asked. I looked at him and he had the same spiky hair as the boy I just saw. I shook my head; my head hurt when I thought about it.

"I saw and girl being pushed on the swing by a boy." I told him truthfully. Pein seemed to be deep in thought. I was about to ask him if everything was but he cut me off.

"Let's go inside." he said. I didn't argue. I followed him inside and we went to the kitchen. It was similar to the kitchen at the Uchiha's but the tiles here were a pale yellow with pink floral designs on them. The cabinets were made of polished wood and counter top was made of wood.

Minato sat at the table drinking a cup of tea while Naruto sat next to him and ate his breakfast super fast. Kushina, who had just finished doing the dishes, turned and sighed at her youngest son, "Naruto, please maintain manners."

"Sawmee Mwam." Naruto said with a mouthful of pancakes. Kushina shook her head as she dried her hands on her apron.

She smiled when she saw me, "How do you like our home, Konan-chan?"

"It's lovely," I said truthfully. "The garden is my favorite."

"I'm glad you like it." Minato said with a smile.

"You grew all those flowers?" I asked in surprise.

"Yeah." Minato said with a sheepish smile.

"It's beautiful!" I said happily.

Minato chuckled, "Thank you my dear. I suggested Tsume try out gardening for a change. How is she doing?"

"Oh so you're the one who suggested it to her!" I said with a grin. "Well she had flowers growing all over our place."

Kushina laughed, "Good to know. But it's hard imagining someone as wild as Tsume doing something like gardening."

I laughed, "That's what I told her when I found out!"

"Well I gotta go," Naruto said as he dropped his dishes in the sink. He then kissed Kushina's cheek. "Buh-bye everyone!"

I shook my head, "He's just like Kiba."

"Apparently, both are known for being troublemakers." Minato said with a chuckle.

I looked at Kushina, "Kushina-san, you should try out that dress."

Kushina smiled sheepishly, "You think it will look good on me?"

I grinned at her, "We'll see."

Kushina laughed and grabbed my wrist, "Let's go upstairs."

We went up the stairs and entered the third door on the left. Inside was a beautiful bedroom with a king-sized four poster bed. There was a large dressing mirror in the corner, a door which probably led to a closet, a desk with a computer and some documents lying around, large glass doors which led to a large balcony and another door which probably led to the bathroom.

The curtains were a deep rich color of red and the wallpaper of the room was yellow with tiny pink flowers. The bed sheets of the bed were red in color with white fluffy pillows. Kushina went over to the bed and picked up the dress Tsume had gotten for her.

She walked over to the mirror and held it in front of her, "Do you think purple is my color?"

"Well I'm not really good with fashion," I said sheepishly. "But I think you'll look awesome."

Kushina smiled at me and then nodded, "Wait here, I'll go and change. Make yourself comfy Konan-chan."

I sat on the large and soft bed as I waited for Kushina, who disappeared behind the bathroom door. That wild vision from earlier was still bothering me. I think I'm going mad; first crazy dreams, annoying migraines and now wild visions. Did this mean something? And if it did, what was it? Why me?

The bathroom door opened and Kushina stepped out. My eyes widened at the sight. The dress hugged Kushina's body perfectly and made her look elegant and stunning but at the same time innocent and playful.

I grinned widely, "You look awesome!"

Kushina's face turned the color of her hair as she giggled, "Really? You don't think it's too much do you?"

I shook my head, "It's perfect! It really suits you."

Kushina laughed, "Thank you dear. I have dinner at the Uchihas today. I think I'll wear this."

"I know Mikoto-san will definitely compliment it." I said with a smile.

Kushina tucked a strand of her long red hair behind her ear and sighed, "Well I'll change out of it now. I don't want to spoil it."

"Wait," I told her. "Before you do, let's pick out shoes and accessories that would go with the dress." Kushina squealed and nodded happily.

So the next fifteen minutes we spent choosing shoes, necklaces, earrings and other stuff. Kushina was going to wear a simple silver chain with a blood red ruby pendant, a birthday gift from Minato, and matching ear studs and a pair of silver two inch heels.

After Kushina had changed back to her home clothes, she smiled at me, "Thank you so much for today Konan-chan."

I scratched my cheek, "Heh, I'm not good at fashion stuff but I hope I was of help today."

Kushina laughed, "Yes definitely."

"That's a relief," I said with a toothy grin. I then sighed. "I think I have to get going now."

Kushina pouted, "You could stay a while."

"I would love to," I said to her. "But nobody is at home so I have to go."

"Oh my," Kushina exclaimed. "Home alone? It's dangerous for young girls."

I shook my head and smiled, "I'll survive. Thank you for your concern."

"Nonsense," said Kushina. She then walked to the door and called out. "Naga- damn it! PEIN!"

Naga what? Did Pein have another name or something? Or maybe . . . his name wasn't Pein at all? Damn, that planted a seed of curiosity in my mind.

Soon Pein entered the room, "What?"

"Go and stay over with Konan-chan at her house until Tsume gets back." Kushina said to her son.

I shook my head vigorously, "No, no, Kushina-san. I'm okay. Really!"

Kushina shook her head, "Nope. You might feel okay but I don't."

Pein rolled his eyes, "Do I have to?"

"Yes you do." Kushina said as she glared at her son. It was kinda scary.

Pein sighed and then looked at me, "Let's go."

I nodded slowly and said my goodbye to Kushina before following Pein out of the bedroom. We passed Minato in the hallway as well so I said my goodbyes to him as well.

Pein looked at me once we were outside the house, "We are walking over."

I shrugged, "Fine with me."

And so we did. We walked over to our house. He kept walking ahead with his hands in his pockets and I had to increase my walking pace to keep up with him.

I huffed and glared at him, "Geez slow down. It's not like there is a horde of zombies following us or anything."

Pein rolled his eyes, "Just keep walking." He started to walk ahead again. Is this guy for real?! I stuck my tongue out at him.

"Put your tongue back in your mouth." He said flatly without even looking back. What a jerk! I let out a sigh of frustration and walked faster. I picked up my pace and walked in front of him. He walked in front of me again but I caught up. Soon we were running towards my house. When he reached in front, both of us were breathing heavily.

I let out a small laugh, "This happened back in college. Do you remember?"

"Yeah." He said with a small smirk.

I closed my eyes and remembered that moment.

_**Flashback**_

_I decided to go to the back building. As I approached my destination, I heard a voice next to me._

"_I thought I told you not to go there." I turned and saw Pein casually walking next to me. _

_I scoffed, "Like I'd listen to you."_

_I started to walk faster but Pein caught up with me. Before I knew it, Pein and I were having a race. Both of us arrived at the same time._

"_Not bad," said Pein. "For a girl." _

_I stuck my tongue out at him, "It was a tie so I get to stay."_

"Back then," I started to say. "It ended in a tie."

Pein smirked, "But right now, I win."

I rolled my eyes, "Yeah right. I got her one step before you."

"No," said Pein. "You stomped on my foot and jumped over here so you are disqualified."

I blushed; I did stomp on his foot. I groaned and walked into the house, "Whatever!"

Pein followed me inside. We went to the living room and sat down on the couch. I cleared my throat, "Can I get you anything?"

"Water please." He said flatly. I nodded and went to the kitchen. As I poured a glass of water, I couldn't help but think that all the girls in the world would be dying to be me right now if they knew Pein was in my house. However, I didn't feel so luck. He was annoying.

I went back and handed him the glass of water. I sat down next to him and sighed, "What now?"

Pein took a sip of his water and shrugged, "You tell me."

I leaned back on the sofa, "Well I have no chores to do. Let's go out."

"I thought the guy asked the girl out." Pein said with a cocky smirk.

I blushed and stood up straight. I then looked at him, "Like I'd go out with you! I meant as . . . well whatever we are besides rivals."

"What about your house?" Pein said as he raised an eyebrow.

"We'll leave when Tsume gets here," I told him. "She'll be home about now."

On cue, we heard the front door open. Soon, Tsume stepped into the living room and grinned, "Hey guys."

"Hey." I greeted.

"Hello Inuzuka-san." Pein said with a nod.

"Hey there Pein," She said with a wide grin. She then looked back and forth between us. "Hope I wasn't . . . interrupting anything?"

I blushed, "No! We were going to head out anyways. We were waiting for you to get home. Oh and Kushina-san said she loved the dress."

Tsume chuckled, "That's good. Well I'm going to fix me something to eat. You guys go have fun."

"Thank you." Pein and I said in union.

After Tsume disappeared into the kitchen, Pein and I headed out. I looked at him, "So where should we go?"

Pein thought for a while then looked at me, "You up for a challenge?"

"Like what?" I asked.

"A rap battle." He said coolly.

I chuckled, "With whom?"

"Me." He replied. I stared at him. A rap battle? With the college superstar who happens to be my rival? I guess no better time than now.

I smirked, "You're on."

He smirked back, "Let's go."

Pein took me to a karaoke pub. It was two blocks away from 'Mystic Leaf' and this one was called 'Konoha Whirlwind.' Everything was green. No seriously, it was green. Plush green sofas, green walls you name it. There were flecks of gold, green and red here and there but mostly everything was green.

There were a lot of people here. Right now, a couple was singing 'Two is Better Than One' by Boys like Girls and Taylor Swift. The girl's voice was soft and the boy's voice was deep and raw and both their voices blended perfectly together.

The girls started to fix themselves by pulling their skirts higher, unbuttoning the top buttons of their blouse and batting their eyelashes when they saw Pein walk in. When they saw me next to him, they glared daggers and I bet they were cursing me to the fiery pits of ! What was so great about him?!

The boys did wolf whistles and hoots as I walked by. But they immediately stopped when Pein glared at him. Wonder why he did that? I would never admit it but I was thankful for that. Those boys were ten seconds away from going to Mars via my fist. I decided to tease Pein a bit.

"Are you jealous of all the attention I'm getting from the males?" I said cheekily.

Pein scoffed, "It's annoying and noisy."

"Whatever you say." I said with a chuckle.

Pein and I immediately went towards the guy who was near the stage dealing the music. I did not except it to be Gai-sensei.

"Hello my youthful customers!" he exclaimed. He then looked at me and Pein. "Pein and . . . Tsume's girl right?"

"Konan." I said to him. He was wearing a green suit with a bright red bow tie. He gave us one of his blinding smiles. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," he said to me. "Youthful and alive! But alas, I had to miss my dear youthful students' basketball game! I am a bad teacher!" He was sniffling now.

"Don't cry," I blurted out. Damn I didn't mean to sound rude. "I mean . . . Lee is with them right?" I recalled the boy who looked like a miniature Gai.

"Yes." Gai said meekly as he brushed off a tear.

"Well I'm sure he will take you place and be twice as youthful today," I said to him. "For both of you."

Gai was silent but then he nodded and had a determined look in his eye, "Yes! My lee will let the power of youth shine for both of us!"

I sweat dropped, "Um right. So Gai-sensei, you work here?"

"Yes I do!" Gai said with a nod.

"Gai here owns this karaoke pub," Pein explained. "His part time job is a gym teacher at Konoha High but his real profession is working in this pub. It was run well and good for years under his wing."

"You are too kind, Pein. So you two here for karaoke?" he asked. Well duh!

"This guy here challenged me to a rap battle," I said as I pointed to Pein. "I don't plan on losing."

"Don't talk big before the match has even begun." Pein said with a smirk.

Something triggered Gai because he pumped his fist in the air and spoke in the microphone, "YOSH MY YOUTHFUL CUSTOMERS! MY DEAR YOUTHFUL FRIENDS, PEIN AND KONAN, ARE GOING TO HAVE A RAP BATTLE! WHO DO YOU THINK WILL WIN?!"

That was unexpected. The people went wild with cheers and whistles. The guys cheered for me while the girls screamed their heart out for Pein. Gai said he would select the song for us so we simply took a mic each and stepped on the stage.

I held out my hand, "May the best rapper win."

Pein shook it, "Who happens to be me."

I rolled my eyes at his arrogance. The music came on and I recognized the song. It was one of my favorites. The guy's part was first so it was Pein's turn. He started the rap.

**Hello Good, morning tell me what the lip read;  
Pretty face, thin waist with the sick weave  
First time fish tailing in the 6 speed  
Real bad boy tell em come and get me  
I'm at the fight, been kinda like Bellmen  
Only took the trip to the truck twice  
Unpacked the Mac 11 and air max's  
Stuff six figures in my damn air mattress  
Uh, I'm in love with large bills  
A dime with a fat ass, thin waist and tall heels  
Yeah, it's the Teflon Don  
Hundred carats in the charm, trying to give it back to Sean**

**Hello, Good morning  
Lets go, lets ride  
Hello, Good morning  
Hello, Good morning  
Know you've been waiting for it  
'cause I seen you watching  
So let's go  
Let's get it popping**

The girls went mad. I had to admit, he was good. He was really good. But I wasn't going to accept defeat. Now it was my turn.

_Cause I've been leaning on the bar  
Looking cleaner than the star  
All these broads won't give me my props  
25 on the bank I be stunting on their ass  
and they mad cause the bitch won't stop_

**Got your boyfriend feeling like a groupie **_**  
**__(you know, you know, we know, we on that) __**  
**_**Stuntin like you looking like a movie **_**  
**__(you know, you know, we know, we on that) __**  
**_**And everybody know who the truth be **_**  
**__(you know, you know, we know, we on that) __**  
**_**I blow cause I'm blowing on the ohh wee **_**  
**__(you know, you know, we know, we on that)_

Time for my solo. I ain't going down Pein. I gave him a smirk before I started to rap.

_I came up in it a little bit self centered  
But did I kill a Queen  
Alexander McQueen's got a wrist on glow  
The bottles is on po'  
Got that shimmy, shimmy ya shimmy yay ayou!  
What the fuck I look like bitch I run this town  
I ain't coming out for less than a 100 thou  
Man, the last time I checked I was bubbling out  
Got to turn down shows, out in Dublin now  
Wait, wait hold on, maybe they didn't get that here  
Like 11 hundred horses when I switch that gear  
Swerve on them sorta like I missed that deer  
Press that little button on the sit back chair  
Bitch I do it cause I get it  
I got billion dollar credit  
If you got a million dollars you could put it up in bet it  
I just be like hello, hello but I never could salute them  
Young money I do it for the youth dem!_

**Hello, Good morning  
Lets go, lets ride  
Hello, Good morning  
Hello, Good morning  
Know you've been waiting for it  
'cause I seen you watching  
So let's go  
Let's get it popping**

_Cause I've been leaning on the bar  
Looking cleaner than the star  
All these broads won't give me my props_

**Got your boyfriend feeling like a groupie **_**  
**__(you know, you know, we know, we on that) __**  
**_**Stuntin like you looking like a movie **_**  
**__(you know, you know, we know, we on that) __**  
**_**And everybody know who the truth be **_**  
**__(you know, you know, we know, we on that) __**  
**_**I blow cause I'm blowing on the ohh wee **_**  
**__(you know, you know, we know, we on that)_

Once we finished, the crowd went nuts. Cheering, screaming, whistling; you name it, they were doing it. Some even threw roses (where did they come from?)

Gai came to the stage and gave one of his shiny smiles, "Who do you think won?!"

Half of the people shouted Pein's name and the other half shouted my name. Gai then told them to vote and so began the election of best rapper. I had so much fun. Rapping like that, I felt awesome. I looked at Pein and he simply smirked at me.

"Thanks for today." I told him. He just shrugged and gave me another smirk.

The voting was done and Gai stepped up on the stage to announce the results after a while.

"Both Pein and Konan have done fabulously today," he said loudly into the mic. "I've never seen anyone be so youthful and passionate during a challenge! It was beautiful! I salute to you two!"

Oo-kay . . . that was weird.

"Now the winner of the battle is," Gai started to say. There was silence and I could see everyone waiting anxiously for the results. "NOBODY!"

Wait what?

"IT'S A TIE!" Gai exclaimed. The crowd went wild with cheers. I looked at Pein and he looked at me. I laughed and immediately tackled him with a hug. He was caught by surprise. So was I. I sheepishly pulled away.

"Uh sorry." I mumbled.

Pein raised an eyebrow at me and then he smirked. He patted my head, "You did well today, Little Blue Bird."

I grinned, "You weren't so bad yourself."

Gai pumped his fist, "YOSH! DRINKS ARE ON THE HOUSE!"

The whole place erupted into cheers and whistles. Some came over to congratulate and tell us we did a great job. Guys gave me their phone numbers and girls gave theirs to Pein. But after they left, we tore it up and smirked at each other.

We had some drinks and did a couple of karaoke with the other people in the place. Well I did. Pein simply rejected the offers. I sang duets with some guys and a couple of group songs with the girls. It was fun.

Pein simply sat alone at one of the tables, besides the crowding fan girls, and watched me. I stared into his hypnotizing orbs which held so many mysteries in them. I shook my head and grinned at him. I gestured for him to come over.

He raised an eyebrow but eventually he came over. I dragged him towards the stage, "Let's sing one last song. As a team, not rivals."

He smirked, "Fine. But don't make me sing anything girly." I laughed at his request and went over to Gai. I didn't know which song exactly so Gai offered to choose. Lord, please don't let it be about youth.

But it wasn't. It was 'As Long As You Love Me' by Justin Bieber and Big Sean. Pein groaned softly and I laughed. I dragged him on the stage and we sang together. The rapping was fun. After we were done, everybody applauded so hard.

It was already twilight. I guess time flies when you're having fun. Pein walked me back to my house. No one was home. Even Tsume had gone out since I found the house was locked. I reached for the key under the mat.

I looked back at Pein, "Today was awesome. Thank you."

"Hn." He muttered.

I laughed, "Are you sure you're not Sasuke's brother?"

Pein rolled his eyes, "Whatever."

We stared into each other's eyes. I wouldn't mind if time froze right here right now. I was already drowning in the pool of hypnotizing purple right before my eyes. And then something unexpected happened, something neither of us were prepared for; Pein leaned down and kissed me.

It wasn't short and abrupt but it wasn't long and lingering either. His lips were surprisingly soft and when it brushed against mine, I felt my whole body on fire. My insides felt like they were melting. Too late; I think they melted.

When he pulled away, he seemed a bit shocked and a bit guilty. He shook his head and quietly said goodbye before walking away. I watched him as he left and until his silhouette disappeared. After he was gone, I sighed and opened the door and stepped inside.

That was my first kiss. I felt all tingly inside. It felt warm and fuzzy at first but slowly it started to bother me. Suddenly my head started to throb. I groaned as I leaned on the door for support. I heard a voice in my head.

'_You're mine, okay?'_

I had no idea whose voice that was but the words echoed over and over again in my mind. My first kiss was with Pein . . .

Why does it feel so good but at the same time why does it hurt so badly?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Pein slammed his bedroom door once he got home. He heard Kushina yell something about not showing his temper on the door. He didn't care. Right now he was too angry at himself to care.

He had kissed her. He had kissed Konan. He wasn't supposed to but he did. He threw himself on the bed and buried his face on the pillow. Her lips were soft and inviting and he wouldn't mind kissing them again . . .

He groaned and buried his face further into the pillow. He wouldn't do it again. He _couldn't_. He wasn't supposed to . . .

He stood up and went to the bathroom to wash his face. He splashed some water on his face and sighed as the water cooled his warm face.

He looked into the mirror in his bathroom; spiky orange hair, a sharp nose with metal studs which weren't a fashion item but for a medical purpose, and purple eyes. The eyes he himself hated so much.

He punched the mirror and it cracked on impact. His knuckles were bleeding but he didn't care. In the broken reflection, the same purple eyes stared back. He sighed quietly and shook his head before reaching for the first aid kit in the cabinet behind the broken mirror.

He couldn't have Konan. She wasn't his. She belonged to Yahiko. Not Pein.

**I plan on using Cher Lloyd songs for Konan now and if you have any suggestions, PM me okay? Tee hee. Read and Review.**


	25. Chapter 25

**Taking full advantage of the net, I'm doing an early update.**

**Konan-chan, I dedicate this to you for dedicating your very first chapter of 'Star-Crossed' to me. Arigatou gozaimasu! READERS! For an early update, please check it out on Konan-chan's (InnocentBlossom) profile. It's ShikaTema and awesome!. I await your update Konan-chan.**

**Chicky, consider yourself Pein in this chapter (because you are both Moody!) Plus, I miss you way too much. Let's meet up soon okay?**

**Anyone reviewed River Never Comes Back? You remember the guy who wrote Summer Breeze right? Dolly-sama? (Psy, it's Yadol. Me: Pssh! Whatever)Please check out his story. His name on FFN is J.K. 04 (J.K.L are his name initials, 4 is his favorite number and he adores Eminem) and he would love it if you could review. His birthday is coming soon (9th Febuary) and he'd love some reviews on his first solo work.**

**I finally brought Sakura in this chapter. She isn't in it much but she and Hana will have tons of nerdy moments later. Tee hee.**

**Enjoy.**

**CHAPTER 25**

Ah! I can't believe the one week holiday in Konoha is now over. That's right; after a lot of fooling around and fun, we have to go back for the rain festival. We were leaving tomorrow. I had already become so fond of Konoha . . .

"Don't worry," Tsume said to me as she patted my back. "You can come back here anytime you like."

I pouted at her, "You didn't teach me how to drive!"

Hana laughed, "But we had fun didn't we?"

I sighed and then smiled, "Best week of my life!"

Tsume chuckled, "Well Konan, do take care of that hand."

"What hand?" I asked. I then made an 'o' with my mouth. I glanced at my palm which was pinkish but now there was no trace of the acid. I even forgot it was there. I took care of it and the ointment finished faster and Hana thinks it's because I used too much. But whatever it may be, it had healed faster than it was supposed to and I didn't feel a thing.

"Now then," said Tsume. "I have to wash the van now before those mud splashes become crusty and hard to clean. Why don't you go visit some of your friends?"

I looked at Hana who looked at me. She grinned, "Sounds like a plan."

So first off, we were heading for Kurotsuchi's place. I dialed her number and after seven rings, she picked up.

"_Hey Konan," _she greeted. _"Sup?"_

"We're coming over." I said straight-forwardly. Hana shook her head.

"_Really?"_ she said. "_Cool. I'll make some coffee."_

"We're leaving tomorrow," I told her. "So we're dropping by your place for a while."

"_Awww,"_ she said dramatically. _"You think of me that much?"_

"Stop being so full of yourself, Kurotsuchi-chan." Hana butted in.

"_Heh, well come on over. Deidara-nii, Akatsuchi and I will be waiting; the others will be over too,"_ she told us. I then heard the screech of a cat. Kurotsuchi laughed. _"Gotta go, bye!"_

"Who did she mean by 'the others'?" Hana asked.

I shrugged, "We'll have to wait and see."

Hana bought some flowers on the way for them; a bouquet of fresh yellow roses. We walked to Kurotsuchi's place in silence . . . which wasn't like us.

Anyway, the day was bright and pleasant and the people were running about doing their daily business. The atmosphere was calm and happy. I was surely going to miss this. Speaking of missing, I didn't even see my rainbow. That's the only downside about me coming to Konoha; I never got to see my rainbow. Oh well, I shouldn't act like a spoilt brat about it.

That's when I saw a glimpse of black and red in a grocery store. Eh? That's weird. I squinted my eyes and saw that they were people. Not just random people though; it was Sasori and Itachi. I grinned and walked towards where they were.

"Eh?" said Hana. "Konan-chan, where are you going?"

I rushed into the store and sure enough, it was Sasori and Itachi who were glaring at each other. Itachi was wearing a high-collared black t-shirt, with the Uchiha symbol on the back, with jeans and sneakers. Sasori was wearing a white hoodie with black inky patterns and jeans with white DCs. The headphones around his neck were white in color, like his hoodie.

I called out to them, "Hey guys!"

They both turned to me and Hana, who caught up with me and just entered the store. Sasori gave us a small wave and Itachi smiled. I dragged Hana towards them. And yes, she was blushing fifty shades of red. As expected of Hana whenever she was around these two.

"So what are you two doing?" I asked them. Sasori was holding a shopping basket and a carton of strawberry flavored milk and Itachi was holding a mixed fruit flavored one. I looked back and forth between them.

Itachi rolled his eyes, "Sasori here lost both the shopping lists sent by my mom and his sister and now we don't know what to buy."

Sasori glared at Itachi, "It's not my fault! You were the one who kept them in the car seat _and_ leave the window open."

"It was your job to take them." Itachi countered.

"No it wasn't; it was yours!" Sasori said nosily.

"Knock it off." I said with a chuckle. These two were so cute. I wouldn't mind watching a Yaoi anime based on these two. The ItaSaso show! Oh yup; I found my back-up career. I'll make so much money, I know it! Okay, now I'm sounding like that Kakuzu guy from college. Maybe I could hire him since he knows way more about business and money . . .

"Shopping lists?" said Hana. She reached into her pocket and pulled out two pieces of paper; one green and the other yellow. "Could it be these?"

"Yes," said Sasori as he took them from Hana. He then looked at her. "Where'd you find them?"

Hana shrugged, "I was coming out of the flower shop and found these stuck on the bushes nearby."

"Oh," I said to her. "So that's what you were picking up. And here I though you found money!" I think Kakuzu and I are related somehow. What's wrong with me today?!

Itachi smiled, "Thanks for finding them." Hana nodded shyly and blushed deeper. Now she was turning hundred shades of red. Kurotsuchi, I am so winning this bet.

"So are you two going anywhere?" Sasori asked.

"We're going back to Ame," I told him. "But only tomorrow morning. We're stopping by Kurotsuchi's right now."

"Us too." Sasori said with a smirk.

"So that's what Kurotsuchi meant when she said 'the others.'" I said with a grin.

"We have to be writing a song soon," said Itachi. "The Akatsuki, I mean."

Hana smiled, "That sounds awesome! Good luck."

Sasori grinned, "Thanks wifey!"

Itachi sighed, "But first we have to finish shopping first. And apparently, the lists fell in the water before Hana found them." Indeed, the lists were sort of washed up. I couldn't read the letters at all.

"Now what?" Sasori muttered. "No way am I calling my sister and getting an 'Oh, you're so careless, Sasori-aniki' lecture!"

Hana laughed, "I'll help. I can try reading it. Konan-chan kept on losing our shopping lists and half the time she would drop it in puddles in Ame so I'm used to reading washed out texts."

"Be thankful for the training I've given you, Hana-chan." I said as I pinched her cheeks. She pulled away and stuck her tongue out at me.

"Okay then," said Sasori. "Shopping with wifey and the Weasel!"

"What an honor shopping with someone who plays with dolls." Itachi said sarcastically with a smirk.

Sasori twitched, "They're puppets!"

"Puppets?" Hana asked. "You mean like those Sesame Street characters or the Muppets?"

"Not really," he said to her, ignoring the chuckle from Itachi. "I have puppets which I made myself. It's a tradition in Suna. I'll show you sometime."

Hana blushed and smiled, "I'd like that."

Damn it! I was going to lose if this kept up; stupid Sasori and his sexy behavior and his charming words. I looked at Itachi desperately but he simply raised an eyebrow at me.

"He spends more time with his dolls than with people." Itachi muttered.

Sasori crossed his arms and pouted, "They're puppets and I do not spend more time with them!"

"Whatever you say." Itachi said as he messed up Sasori's hair. Sasori glared at the Uchiha, who simply chuckled.

Yup, I could make an anime show out of these two. I'll be rich, rich, RICH! Okay, going crazy with the money talk. And did I just sound like Eustace from 'Courage the Cowardly Dog?' Weird. But I love that show.

"Konan-chan," said Hana. She handed me the roses. "Take these and go on over to Kurotsuchi-chan's. I'll come later with Itachi-kun and Sasori-kun."

I grinned slyly, "Don't get wild okay? That too at a grocery store."

Hana punched my arm, "You're such a pervert."

"So what?" I said with a grin. "Would you like a cup of tea?" Okay first it was money and now it's Courage! I mean that last line I said sounded like Muriel!

I said goodbye to the two and before I left, I whispered to Itachi, "Make a move before Sasori does!"

I think he understood. But I'm not sure. He simply shook his head. As I walked out of the store, I saw Hana taking the basket from Sasori and checking out the list while Itachi and Sasori looked at her.

I walked towards Kurotsuchi's place, which were a few blocks down. I thought about my kiss with Pein. I hadn't even told Hana about it. It was a few days ago and I hadn't talked with him or seen him ever since. A part of me felt it was better this way but a part of me . . . dare I say it, missed him.

What did that kiss mean? I had no idea. Maybe it was friendly one. But then again, why did it feel so . . . enchanted. Why did I feel all tingly and magical? Okay that's it; no more fairy tale movies for me! God, I couldn't have been that jobless to watch both Cinderella movies could I? But I've been wrong before.

I reached in front of Kurotsuchi's place and knocked on the door. A few seconds later, Kurotsuchi opened the door and grinned at me. She was wearing a brown tank top with white tennis shorts and sneakers. Her hair was wild and frizzy and she had red headphones around her neck.

"Come on in." She said as she bounced inside. I closed the door behind me and followed her into the kitchen. Akatsuchi was reading a book at the table, wearing a grey hoodie and jeans with black sneakers. He smiled kindly and greeted me with a wave. There was something cooking on the stove which smelled delicious.

Nothing had changed since I last came here; except for the fact that it was cleaner and two cups of coffee sat at the counter. Kurotsuchi grabbed one and handed it to me.

"Where's Hana?" She asked.

"Shopping with Sasori," I said to her. But before she could exclaim with glee, I smirked. "And Itachi."

Kurotsuchi gave me a smirk of her own, "I see. I wonder if Sasori will be a gentleman and give Hana a hand with the groceries."

"Nah," I disagreed with her. "That'll be Itachi."

"Bet for ten bucks?" Kurotsuchi challenged.

"You're on!" I told her with a grin.

I gave the flowers to Akatsuchi who beamed happily and went to find a vase for it. A sudden 'meow' made me jump. A grayish-black cat with bluish eyes hopped onto the counter. Yup, I said bluish eyes. One of its ears was torn and its fur was all messed up but it was still adorable to me.

It meowed at me again. I had a sudden urge to exclaim 'kitty!' like a little girl and grab it and hug it to death. But I simply reached for its head and gently stroked it. It purred and then jumped off of the counter.

"Oi Katsu," said a voice at the doorway. "Where is that cat, un?"

"Hey Deidei!" I exclaimed. Deidara raised an eyebrow at me. He was wearing a black long-sleeved shirt and jeans with black converse. The cat jumped on Deidara's shoulder and purred happily as it nuzzled his hair. Deidara tugged gently on its ear and it hissed at him before curling up against his neck.

"I didn't know you're a cat person," I said with a grin. "What's his name?"

"It's a girl," said Deidara. "Her name's Katsu, un."

Kurotsuchi snickered, "They are adorable together aren't they?"

Deidara rolled his eyes, "Oh don't start."

"Ahem," Kurotsuchi said, ignoring Deidara's glare. "Deidara-nii and I were walking home from the store after picking up some fruits and he saved that kitty from a bunch of mean dogs. It was scared so it scratched Deidara-nii's arm and ran away. But it secretly followed us home. And so Deidara-nii reluctantly adopted her. Although I know he likes the cat."

"Shut up, un." Deidara muttered as he ruffled her already messy hair.

I chuckled at the two; it was nice that they were getting along well. I could see Kurotsuchi's microscopic blush and I grinned slyly at her.

"They have similar eyes."I stated.

"Not you too, un." Deidara groaned. Kurotsuchi hooted and stuck her tongue out at Deidara who rolled his eyes at her.

"Deidara stop playing with that cat." said another voice. Oh no. Please, God no! Tell me that that voice does not, I repeat, does NOT belong to-

"Shut up Pein," said Deidara. "I'm not playing, un."

God hates me. Yup, Pein was there in all his glory, wearing a black jacket over a white shirt and black skinny jeans and white Vans. He raised an eyebrow at me as he looked at me with those hypnotizing eyes.

I immediately felt my face heat up. But I shook my head and grinned at him, "Hey."

He merely nodded. The silence that hung in the air was pretty awkward. The only sound was Katsu purring delightedly on Deidara's shoulder. He glanced back and forth between Pein and me. Pein looked away while I looked at my shoes; a habit I picked up here in Konoha. Every time things got weird or awkward for me, I look at my feet and trust me it helps.

The silence was (finally) broken when Naruto's voice boomed from the other room, "TEME!"

I quietly let out a sigh of relief. Kurotsuchi groaned, "Those two are at it again!"

"Naruto's here?" I said with a toothy grin.

"Yeah," said Deidara. "He and that brother of Itachi's have been arguing like kids, un."

"Deidara-nii," said Kurotsuchi, holding up a bowl. "It's time to feed Katsu."

"Whatever, un." Deidara muttered.

"I want to say hi to the boys." I said as I walked towards the living room.

Pein followed me, "Sasori's sister is here too."

I grinned, "Really? Cool! I met Gaara but not his sister. I want to meet her."

Strangely, the trip to the living room seemed way longer. We walked in silence and my lips were trembling; I so wanted to ask him about that kiss.

"Just consider it a friendly gesture." Pein said to me.

I looked at him, "What?"

"You were thinking about . . . that incident." He said carefully. Damn mind reader! I felt my face turn red hot. I simply pouted and crossed my arms as I walked. I could see from the corner of my eyes that Pein was smirking at me.

The living room was big with plush black leather couches and a rectangular glass table in the centre with a vase which contained the flowers Hana had bought. The walls were a pale cream color and the floor was carpeted with a beige colored carpet. The large glass windows with yellow and pink floral printed curtains revealed the bright outdoors. There was a flat screen T.V on the wall with a showcase below it, full of breakable glass decorations.

On the couch was Sasuke who was wearing a black shirt with grey skinny jeans and black converse (seriously, why do all these Uchihas dress in dark colors?) and he was smirking cockily at Naruto, who was standing in front of him.

Naruto looked frustrated and he was pointing an accusing finger at Sasuke. He was wearing a black jacket with sleeves that ended at the elbows, a pale yellow t-shirt with the Konoha symbol in red on the front and black jeans with white Vans.

There was a third person, sitting next to Sasuke. I guess she was Sasori's sister. She saw us enter and stood up. She was shorter than me but about the same height as Hana. She was wearing a red blouse and a brown skirt which reached her knees with long white socks and black flats. She had a red ribbon in her hair which was an unusual color; pink.

You heard me; her hair was pink. Maybe she dyed it? Her eyes were emerald green in color and her forehead was a bit larger than normal but overall she was cute. It was hard to believe she was related to Sasori.

"Guys!" She said sternly to the boys. They stopped their arguing and looked at Pein and me.

Naruto grinned and came over to give me a hug, "Konan! How are you?!"

I returned the hug, "I'm awesome! What about you?"

"Being a Dobe as always." Sasuke muttered. Naruto glared at the Uchiha and crossed his arms.

Naruto grinned, "I'm doing great!"

I nodded and looked at the pink-haired girl and smiled, "So you're Sasori's sister huh?"

"That's me," she said with a smile. She held out her hand. "Haruno Sakura."

I shook her hand, "Konan. Nice to meet you." I looked at her carefully; it was still hard to believe this girl was related to Sasori. I mean this girl here had dyed her hair pink!

Sakura held up two fingers, "Two things; my pink hair is natural, not dyed and yes, I know it's hard to believe I'm related to Sasori-aniki."

"Oo-kay," I said as I nodded slowly. How do people read my mind so easily?! I shook my head and then looked at Sasuke. He looked at me with a bored expression. I grinned. "Long time no see."

"Hn." Sasuke muttered.

"Sasuke-kun, that's rude." Sakura chided.

"What can you expect from him, Sakura-chan? He's a teme." Naruto said with a shrug. Sasuke rolled his eyes and muttered a 'Dobe.'

"What were you guys blabbering about?" Pein asked lazily.

"I was just telling teme here that being a teme has its limits!" Naruto said as he glared at Sasuke.

"That made no sense, Dobe." Sasuke said monotonously.

"It made complete sense!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Hn. No it didn't." Sasuke said as he smirked at Naruto's frustrated face.

"ALL I'M SAYING IS YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO HARASS SAKURA-CHAN IN PUBLIC!" Naruto yelled.

Sakura started to blush so hard that she reminded me of Hana, "NARUTO!"

"I don't 'harass her in public' as you put it," Sasuke replied as he quoted with his fingers. He then smirked. "Plus, she's my girlfriend, Dobe."

Naruto gasped dramatically and so did I, at the same time. I clasped my hands together, "So she's the one Jugo was talking about. Oh Sasuke, you charmer, you!"

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura exclaimed, turning redder than ever. "I thought you said we should keep it low for a while!" Sasuke simply shrugged.

"UCHIHA SASUKE," Naruto said as he rolled up his sleeves. "YOU NO GOOD SON OF A BI-"

"Naruto, I dare you to finish that sentence." Sakura said dangerously. The way she said it told me that she is someone I don't want to mess with.

Naruto gulped and then nervously finished the sentence, "Biscuit! You son of a sweet, delicious biscuit!"

"Dobe." Sasuke said as he shook his head.

"Teme!" Naruto said to the Uchiha.

"Dobe."

"Teme!"

"Dobe."

"Teme!"

As the two boys were bickering, Pein looked at Sakura, "I don't think you told your brothers."

Sakura shook her head shyly, "No."

"Well I wish you luck," said Pein. "After all, Sasori and Itachi are rivals and Sasuke happens to be Itachi's brother. Not to mention your brother Gaara's rivalry with Sasuke himself."

I punched him in the arm, "Stop being so negative! Don't worry Sakura; I'll kick their butts if they don't approve!" Sakura smiled happily at me.

The two boys still hadn't stopped their childish arguments.

"Will these guys ever grow up?" Pein muttered.

I scoffed, "At least your brother isn't as Moody as you."

"Says the person who never stops talking." Pein said with a smirk.

"Moody ass."

"Annoying Blue Bird."

Hana, Itachi, Sasori and Deidara walked into the living room. Sasori raised an eyebrow at what he saw, "Did we miss anything?"

"YOU SURE DID!" Naruto exclaimed. "I MEAN TEME SAID HE'S-" I pounced on the blonde boy and cupped my hand over his mouth. Everyone looked at me like I was crazy. I laughed sheepishly and acted like this was totally normal.

"Let Sakura tell Sasori herself." I hissed in his ear. Naruto nodded vigorously. I guess he wanted to get out of my tight hold; the kid looked a bit blue. Oh darn, I'm being mean to Kisame.

"So I guess you're Hana." Sakura said cheerfully to Hana.

Hana smiled back, "So you're Sakura. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too," said Sakura. She then looked slyly at Sasori. "Aniki keeps talking about you. 'Hana this' or 'Hana that' so it's nice meeting you in person."

Hana started to blush while Sasori cleared his throat and looked away. Oh if I wasn't on the bet with Kurotsuchi, I'd so be enjoying this! Speaking of bets . . .

"We both lost Konan," Kurotsuchi announced as she walked into the room. "Tobi carried the groceries."

"Tobi's a good boy!" Tobi yelled as he ran into the room. He was wearing a lime green t-shirt with khaki shirts and grey sneakers. Finally; an Uchiha who is not dressed in black or navy blue.

"What bet?" asked Akatsuchi, who walked in drying his hands on a towel.

"Nothing!" Kurotsuchi and I exclaimed in a sing-song tone.

"Well pasta is ready," Akatsuchi said happily. "Sit down okay? I'll bring it here."

And so we did. Deidara sat on one of the one-person sofas and Sasuke sat on the other. Sakura sat on a chair between Sasuke and Naruto, who was sitting on the arm rest of the big couch. Hana plopped down in the middle of the couch. Tobi sat down on her right.

I grabbed Itachi's arm and spoke in a fan girlish voice, "Itachi-san! Sit next to Hana-chan, will you?"

"No," said Kurotsuchi in the same voice as she grabbed Sasori's arm. "Sasori-sama! You sit next to Hana-hime!"

"No, Itachi's sitting next to her." I said as I tugged on Itachi's arm.

"No Sasori is." Kurotsuchi argued.

"Itachi!"

"Sasori!"

"Itachi!"

"Sasori!"

"UCHIHA ITACHI!"

"I-DON'T-YOUR-LAST-NAME SASORI!"

"Why's my name the weirdest?" Sasori said with a pout.

Sakura stood up from her chair and sat down next to Hana on the couch, "I'll sit next to Hana-chan."

"Fine!" Kurotsuchi and I yelled. Then after a brief silence, we started to laugh like maniacs.

"Idiots." Sasuke muttered. But we simply stuck our tongues out at him.

Sasori took Sakura's place on the chair and Itachi sat next to Sakura, which earned him a glare from Sasuke. I sat next to Tobi and Pein sat next to me. Kurotsuchi sat on the other arm rest of the couch.

"Pasta!" Akatsuchi declared as he set down a pan full of delicious looking and smelling pasta. He set the plates and forks and we began to help ourselves. Tobi took his pasta and said he had something to do so he ran off into the other room.

"I thought he'd be over it by now." Sasuke muttered. I wondered what that meant. But I pretended I didn't hear him say that.

Pasta was amazing. Kurotsuchi completely ignored the sauce and ate only the pasta and I literally drowned my pasta in sauce

Pein sighed, "Are you even human?"

I grinned and I'm pretty sure I had pasta sauce on them but I didn't care, "A supernatural one, yes!"

The rest of the lunch was silent except for random comments passed around among each other. After we were done, I'm pretty sure everyone was stuffed like a turkey on thanksgiving. Katsu leaped onto the table and Deidara held out his hand. Katsu licked the pasta sauce off of his fingers.

"She's such an angel!" Sakura beamed. "I wish I had a cat."

"You can have her, un." Deidara said to her.

Sakura shook he head, "Oh no. She likes you a lot. I don't want to separate you two."

Deidara sighed, "When did I become such a grandma?"

Suddenly, Katsu stood on all fours. Her tail was standing up tall and erect and her whole body was tensed with her fur standing up as she hissed wildly . . . at Hana. But that wasn't the only surprising thing; Hana bared her teeth in a snarl and made a noise at the back of her throat, just like a vicious dog's when it's about to fight.

Katsu got bored and gave one final hiss before running out of the room. We all stared at Hana who was glaring at the cat. She then noticed that all attention was one her and blushed, "What? I hate cats."

"Why?" I asked her. "Katsu is adorable!"

"There is nothing adorable about that . . . that thing!" Hana exclaimed. "I can't help it that I hate cats; they hate me too. Besides, my family descends from the canines. Forgive me for not being a fan of felines!"

We all laughed/chuckled/smirked at Hana who blushed but joined in shortly. Tobi joined us too. I wonder if I'll ever see the guy behind the mask.

After a while, Sakura, Naruto and Sasuke had to leave since they only stopped by for lunch (according to Sasuke, they were forced by Kurotsuchi) and had to finish an assignment.

After they left, Kurotsuchi stood up and stretched her arms, "Well then I believe the Akatsuki have work to do. You better get started!"

"Not really in the mood." Pein muttered.

I raised an eyebrow, "And this is coming from the Moodiest guy on the planet?" He simply messed up my hair.

"Okay," said Kurotsuchi. "Let's play strip poker!"

"No way," Deidara said immediately. "You always cheat and win, un."

Akatsuchi nodded, "I agree."

Kurotsuchi rolled her eyes, "You're just gloomy about the fact that you two lose every time and I, very kindly by the way, leave you guys in your boxers and also, you have never seen me strip past my tank top and shorts."

"There's nothing to see, un." Deidara muttered.

"Shut up!" Kurotsuchi said as she shook her fist.

"Let's watch videos!" Hana said happily.

"What kind?" Sasori asked.

"Baby videos," she beamed. "You know? Videos of our childhood. I already have some of the videos my mom made of Konan when we were in middle school."

"You wouldn't dare." I said slowly.

"Oh come on!" Sasori said told him as he slapped me on the shoulder.

"Yeah well I bet Tsume-san has videos of you too!" I told Hana.

Hana sighed, "Fine! Tit for tat. I get it. Besides, I don't have anything embarrassing."

"I have some of Akatsuchi and Deidara-nii!" Kurotsuchi announced.

Deidara glared at her, "Well I have videos of you too, un!"

"Okay new plan," said Tobi. "Let's all rush home and grab some old videos we have of each other or maybe of our own and then meet up back here in nineteen minutes!"

"Why don't you just say twenty minutes?" Itachi said with a sigh.

Tobi held up two fingers as a peace sign, "Tobi likes the number nineteen!"

"You have to bring a video," said Kurotsuchi. "It's compulsory and if you don't, you have to . . . do a strip tease for us while I make a video!"

"That's too extreme." Pein said as he shook his head.

I grinned, "It's the only way to make sure everyone brings something. Even you, Moody-san." He rolled his eyes at me.

"Okay then," said Akatsuchi. "Disperse!"

**LOL! I'm brainstorming so many stuff for the next chapter so stay tuned okay? Also, I think the cat's name as 'Katsu' is suitable; it actually makes sense. I was planning it from the time I was writing chapter 10. Read and review.**


	26. Chapter 26

**Tobi: Today I will give you a hint about myself. I warn you; there is a mega cliff hanger at the end of this chapter.**

**Chicky: AHA! YOU SAID 'I' AGAIN!**

**Tobi: Tobi wants to slide down the rainbow!**

**Chicky: -grabbing Tobi by the collar- STOP AVOIDING THE SUBJECT!**

**Me: -closes the curtain and block Chicky and Tobi from view- Hey guys let me explain:**

**-I was busy with school (It's my senior year you see)**

**-I have my kawaii students (I'm not a teacher. I'm more of a senpai) who want me to hang out with them and teach them ninjutsu hand seals, Japanese language and anime songs.**

**-I have household chores.**

**-More school work -_-**

**So I'm really sorry I couldn't update fast enough. My net is slightly better so I'll try for early updates from now on okay?**

**Anyways I had tons of fun writing this chapter and the videos featured here. Hope you guys like it; enjoy!**

**CHAPTER 26**

Tsume raised an eyebrow at Hana and me when we dashed in through the front door. We took a moment to catch our breath and then we both exclaimed at the same time, "WE NEED HOME VIDEOS!"

Tsume held up her hands, "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Calm down and explain will ya?"

And so we did . . . in a jumble of words. Both Hana and I were yelling and blabbering at the same time and Tsume winced at the ruckus we were making. She left the room saying, "Okay! Okay! I get you need some homemade videos of yourselves. Geez."

Hana and I laughed. Hana left for our room saying she had some of my 'Best Videos' upstairs. I simply rolled my eyes and followed Tsume into the living room. Tsume reached into the showcase and pulled out a couple of DVDs.

I sighed, "We never got to watch those high school videos of yours."

Tsume grinned, "Well you can take them to Ame and watch them when you're bored. I'll pack them for you guys. Right now, I assume you're just looking for videos of your younger selves to laugh and make fun of each other."

"You know us too well, mom." Hana said as she walked into the room holding a DVD case.

Tsume handed me a DVD and leaned in to whisper to me, "Don't worry; these are Hana's 'best Moments.'"

I snickered and grinned at her, "Thanks Tsume-san."

"Let's get going," said Hana as she picked up a DVD off of the table next to the T.V and traded it for what she had brought from our room. She smiled in satisfaction and walked out of the room. "Bye mom!"

"See ya later, Tsume-san!" I said with a wave as I followed Hana out.

We took our time and walked slowly towards Kurotsuchi's place. We even brought some snacks on the way; a hell lot of chocolates (to Hana's disappointment), a hell lot of seaweed (to my disappointment) and bags of different flavored chips (to both our pleasure.)

When we arrived, I saw that we were the last ones. Everyone was already there. Kurotsuchi grinned at us and gestured for us to come on over. We handed the DVDs to her and sat down on the floor, where a huge mat with fluffy pillows was laid out.

Okay so this was the order, from left to right, we were sitting in: Akatsuchi, Deidara (with Katsu on his lap to Hana's dismay), Tobi, Sasori, Hana, Itachi, me and Pein. Kurotsuchi pulled out a bowl from behind her.

She grinned, "So I'll be the video D.J or you can call me the V.J. You guys will write your name in a piece of paper and fold it, then put it in this bowl. I'll then mix it up and I'll pick a name from this bowl. We will play the video of that person. Fair?"

"Fair." We all said to her. She handed us some paper slips and we all wrote our names under her supervision; we don't want any cheaters. She then took all of them in the bowl and gave it a good mix. As Kurotsuchi reached into the bowl and pulled out a slip of paper, we all either held our breath or crossed our fingers. In my case, both.

"This is like the reaping for the Hunger Games." I heard Hana mutter. It's probably a book thing. Oh yeah; I didn't even finish the Twilight book. I better do that before Hana goes into demon mode.

Kurotsuchi opened the slip of paper and read out the name clearly, "Akatsuchi!"

Akatsuchi groaned, "No way!"

Kurotsuchi grinned happily, "I have a good video of you!"

She then searched through the pile of videos and then hooted when she found what she was looking for. She put in the DVD and quickly moved onto the mat to sit between Akatsuchi and Deidara.

The video had started.

_It was a stage. The wooden floors were polished and clean and the closed curtains were a royal and rich red in color. The video was made from the front row of the audience because everything could be seen clearly. There was a woman, wearing a blue blouse and black skirt and black stilettos, on stage._

"No," Akatsuchi groaned. "Kurotsuchi, did you _have_ to put in the talent show video?" Kurotsuchi simply smiled innocently in response.

_The woman walked up to the mic on stage and smiled, "Now we have our kawaii Akatsuchi-kun singing a song for us! A round of applause please."_

_The crowd cheered and applauded. The video shook a little._

"_AKATSUCHI! GO GET'EM!" a girl's voice yelled. Some of the people in the back grumbled about how kids were so restless and noisy._

"_Stop being so loud, un." A boy's voice muttered in an annoyed tone._

"_Shut up Deidara-nii," said the girl. "Can't you cheer Akatsuchi on for once?!"_

"I'm guessing that was you two." Hana said grinning at Kurotsuchi and Deidara. Deidara simply sighed and shrugged while Kurotsuchi grinned and scratched the back of her head sheepishly.

_The curtains gingerly opened and revealed a plump boy standing in front of a mic wearing a brown tuxedo with a white dress shirt and a bright red bow tie. He looked a bit nervous and was clenching his fists tightly._

"_Hello everyone," said Akatsuchi. "I'm Akatsuchi from Iwa and I'm going to sing the song Sukiyaki by Sakamoto Kyu. I hope you like it." _**[A/N: Those who haven't heard the song, you have to listen to it! It's awesome. I performed with my Japanese class group!]**

"_THAT'S MY COUSIN!" Kurotsuchi yelled again. "GO AKATSUCHI!" More grumbles and complaints erupted from the crowd while some chuckled._

"_Will you shut up, un?" muttered Deidara._

"This is awful," Akatsuchi moaned. "No one wants to hear me sing!"

"Yes we do!" I said to him. He simply pouted and looked away.

_The music began and Akatsuchi adjusted his bow tie and took a deep breath. Then he started to sing._

_**U e o muite arukou  
Namida ga ko bore naiyoni  
Omoidasu haru no hi  
Hitoribotchi no yoru**_

_His voice was a bit shaky but was very melodious for a little kid._

_**U e o muite arukou  
Nijinda hoshi no kazoete  
Omoidasu natsu no hi  
Hitoribotchi no yoru**_

_**Shiawase wa kumo no ueni  
Shiawase wa sora no ueni**_

_**U e o muite arukou  
Namida ga ko bore naiyoni  
Nakinagara aruku  
Hitoribotchi no yoru**_

_There was some whistling music before Akatsuchi continued._

_**Omoidasu akinohi  
Hitoribotchi no yoru**_

_**Kanashimi wo hoshi no kageni  
Kanashimi wo tsuki no kageni**_

_**U e o muite arukou  
Namida ga ko bore naiyoni  
Nakinagara aruku  
Hitoribotchi no yoru**_

_**Hitoribotchi no yoru**_

_After more whistling music, the song ended. Akatsuchi mumbled a thank you into the mic took a bow. The whole crowd erupted into cheers and applauds. The video shook a bit again and an ear piercing cheer erupted._

"_Could you get any more annoying, un?" Deidara muttered._

"_Oh shut up," replied Kurotsuchi. The video made a turn and revealed the face of a young girl with black eyes and short black hair which had two yellow clips holding back the fringe. Kurotsuchi gave a toothy grin, revealing that she had one of her front teeth missing._

"_Kurotsuchi signing out; peace y'all!" she said into the camera before it black out._

We all looked laughed/ chuckled/ smirked at Kurotsuchi's embarrassed expression. Then we looked at Akatsuchi and applauded. His face was a little red and he simply laughed sheepishly scratched his cheek.

"Dude you were so adorable!" I asked to the big guy. He turned redder in response.

"Okay then," said Kurotsuchi. She placed Akatsuchi's name slip on the table and held out the bowl to him. "It's your turn to pick the name."

Akatsuchi smiled and reached into the bowl. There was silence again. He then opened the slip of paper and grinned, "Sasori-san!"

Sasori shook his head vigorously, "No way! No, no, no!"

"Stop acting like a spoilt brat," Deidara said with a smirk. "I managed to get a video of you from Sakura, un."

"You're the devil." Sasori muttered.

Kurotsuchi shushed us and then sat back down after putting in the video. The video had started.

_It showed the panels of a wooden floor. The person making the video must have been walking because it only showed the floor and the pale yellow walls. _

_Finally, the camera focused on a bright room. The sunlight poured in from the window with purple curtains. There was a large showcase with several breakable China cups and plates on display. The floor was covered with a red rug and there was a table with a record player, a box full of records and some soft toys on top of it._

_There was a fireplace in the corner with some picture frames and decorations on top of it. Above the fireplace was the portrait a woman with long brown hair holding a little baby boy with red hair and a man with brown eyes and the same red hair as the baby._

_In front of the fireplace were a large sofa and a rocking chair. Someone was sitting on the rocking chair and was rocking back and forth vigorously._

"_Oi Sasori-chan, you don't want to break your grandmother's rocking chair do you?" said an old woman's voice._

_The person on the chair was a small boy, who looked about four, with messy red hair and the most heartwarming brown eyes. He was wearing a white vest and black shorts and he smiled sheepishly at the camera, "Sorry grandma; but that was fun!"_

"Why this video?!" Sasori moaned as he buried his face in his hands. "I'm going to kill my sister later."

"SO ADORABLE!" Kurotsuchi and I squealed while Hana clasped her hands together and nodded while smiling like a lovesick idiot. Itachi and Pein smirked while Deidara chuckled and teased Sasori. Akatsuchi also agreed that Sasori looked cute.

_The old woman, who was making the video, chuckled, "Now, now. Why don't you say something nice to the camera; let's make some memories eh?"_

"_Memories huh?" Sasori said innocently as he tilted his head._

"_Yes," said the old lady. "You could talk about something or maybe sing a song or dance."_

"_I don't know." Sasori said slowly._

"_Chiyo-baa-sama," said a voice. The camera now showed a maid holding two infants. "Mebuki-san and the Kazekage requested to keep these two with you."_

_Sure," said the old lady, Chiyo. "You hold the camera and I'll take Sakura and Gaara out of your hands."_

_After some shuffling, the video showed an old lady wearing white traditional robes with a brown scarf and maroon hat sat on the rocking chair, holding two babies; a girl with pink hair and a boy with red hair. _

_Sasori gently stroked the cheek of the girl child and the baby sighed in her sleep. Chiyo smiled at Sasori, "Do you like your siblings?"_

"_Uh huh!" Sasori beamed. He then looked at the camera and grinned. "I'm going to protect them no matter what!"_

"That is just so sweet!" Hana gushed. Sasori blushed a bit and looked away. Kurotsuchi snickered and looked at me smugly. I glared at her and focused on the screen again.

"_Sasori-chan, why don't you sing a song for us?" said the maid who was making the video._

_Sasori laughed sheepishly, "I can't."_

"_Oh come on," Chiyo said with a wink. "Why don't you sing that song you sang to me? The one you learned from your granduncle's records?" Sasori hesitated for a while before starting to sing in the cutest and sweetest voice._

_**Lying in my bed I hear the clock tick and think of you  
Caught up in circles confusion is nothing new**_

You say, go slow  
I fall behind  
The second hand unwinds

If you're lost  
You can look  
And you will find me  
Time after time  
If you fall  
I will catch you  
I'll be waiting  
Time after time  
Time after time  
Time after time

"_That's all," Sasori said shyly. "Bye!" He then rushed out of the room while Chiyo chuckled and rocked the two babies on the rocking chair. The video ended._

"That was too adorable!" I exclaimed.

"Too. Much. Cuteness!" Kurotsuchi said as she fanned herself.

Sasori simply sighed, "My turn to pick the name right?"

Sasori picked out a name and smirked as he read it, "Deidara."

"Damn it, un." Deidara muttered.

"Tobi has a good video!" said Tobi.

"I hate life, un." Deidara said gloomily.

Tobi handed Kurotsuchi the video and after she put it in, the video started.

_It was a forest; with lush green trees growing all around, soft looking grass carpeting the ground, a few wild flowers blooming here and there and the birds sang sweet songs while the butterflies flew around lazily. There was a giant log on which two boys were sitting on._

"No way," said Sasori. "Tobi, this isn't from fourth grade is it? From our 'Wildlife Preservation' project?"

"Yup!" Tobi exclaimed.

"I thought we submitted that ages ago, un." Deidara said to the masked man.

"But there was the cut out part," Itachi pointed out. "Tobi had saved that, right Tobi?" Tobi nodded in agreement.

_One of the boys was Sasori, who was about nine years old at the time, who was wearing a green t-shirt and khaki shorts with sneakers. He sighed and ran his hand through his messy red hair._

_The other boy had short and spiky blonde hair with long bangs covering one of his big blue eyes. Wearing a black t-shirt with grey pants and black sneakers, he was making something with a lump of clay in his hands. _**[A/N: Deidei's hair is kinda like C's. If you all don't know, C is a Kumo ninja who works under the Raikage as Darui's Partner. But I know you all do. I'm just saying it anyways ^_^]**

"Wait," said Hana. "Deidara-san, is that you?!"

"So what, un?" Deidara muttered.

"Believe it or not that's Deidara-senpai," said Akatsuchi. "He looks different ne?"

"You can say that again." I replied in agreement. I grinned at Deidara who rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

_The person holding the camera beamed happily and chased after a butterfly but ended up falling. Sasori sighed, "Must you be so clumsy?"_

"_Be careful with that," Deidara said in an annoyed tone. "We still have this stupid assignment to complete, un."_

"_That hurt." The person who fell moaned._

"Tobi was that you?" I asked him. Tobi nodded happily.

"_So now what?" said Sasori. "We're supposed to do a video presentation on Wildlife Preservation."_

"_Isn't that much for fourth graders?" asked Tobi._

"_For once I agree with you, un," said Deidara as he looked up from his clay modeling. "This is stupid."_

"_But we have to do it anyways." Sasori said with a shrug._

"_Let's go then!" Tobi exclaimed._

"_Don't waste the battery randomly you idiot." Deidara muttered._

"_That's not nice, senpai!" Tobi whined. "You're a big bully!"_

"_That's not bullying," Sasori said with a smirk. "Consider it Deidara's way of saying he cares about you."_

"_I do not 'care' about him, un," Deidara said flatly. "Quit teasing me, Sasori-no-danna."_

"Sasori-no-danna?" I said as I looked at Deidara, amused.

"An old nickname I used for Sasori." That was all Deidara said as he looked away.

"You called him 'Master Sasori?'" Hana said with a giggle.

"Deidara respected Sasori a lot." Itachi explained to us.

"And he still does." Sasori said as he smirked smugly at Deidara.

Deidara glared at him, "No way. You've become an ass, un."

"But I'm still very cool to you," Sasori said cheekily. "Don't deny it, Deidara-chan."

"Doll-freak." Deidara muttered.

Sasori twitched, "They're puppets!"

Maybe I could add Deidara into the Itachi and Sasori Yaoi. Make it a love triangle between the three maybe. Oh yup; I'll make ship loads of money then. Well now, I think I have enough evidence that states I'm related to that Kakuzu guy.

"_Deidara-senpai," Tobi said slowly. "You don't mean you love-"_

"_NO!" Deidara cut in with flushed cheeks. "Don't you dare think I love boys! I don't even like them! I don't like boys, un!"_

"_But we're all boys!" Tobi pointed out._

"_I meant," Deidara started to say. "I don't like them _that_ way, un!"_

_Sasori poked Deidara's cheek, "You're looking kind of red."_

"_I DON'T LIKE BOYS, UN" Deidara exclaimed._

"_So you like girls?" Tobi asked innocently._

"_No I don't," said Deidara. "If they're anything like Kurotsuchi, they're annoying and loud, un."_

"That's mean!" Kurotsuchi said with a pout.

Deidara smirked, "It's the truth."

"_So if you don't like boys or girls," said Tobi. "What do you like?"_

"_I like art!" Deidara said happily as he held up his clay model of a bird._

"_That's no surprise." Sasori stated._

"_But Deidara-senpai," said Tobi. "You can't befriend art or play video games or watch movies or even marry art and have kids with art!"_

"_Shut up, un!" Deidara said while twitching._

_Sasori sighed, "Are we doing this project or not?" The video ended after that._

Hana, Kurotsuchi, Akatsuchi and I burst out laughing while Itachi and Sasori chuckled and Pein smirked. Deidara pouted and scratched Katsu's ear. Katsu purred happily on her master's lap.

"You sir, have been awfully quiet." Kurotsuchi said as she looked at Pein. He simply shrugged in response.

"Okay Deidei," I said grinning at the guy. "Pick a name."

Deidara fished out a paper slip and opened it. He smirked as he read the name, "Hana."

Hana flushed red, "Aw shoot!"

"I have an awesome video of Hana." I exclaimed.

"Bring it, sista!" Kurotsuchi said grinning widely. Hana sighed and put her face in her palm.

I picked up the DVD from the pile and handed it to Kurotsuchi.

"This I gotta see." Itachi said with a smirk. Hana pouted and Itachi simply chuckled. I grinned; I hope Tsume picked a good one of Hana. Well knowing Tsume, this one was going to be awesome.

_It showed the hallway of our old home on Ame and the camera stopped at a door which had a sign which said, in pretty letters, 'Hana's room.'_

_The door was pushed opened and it revealed Hana's old room. It had a bed near the window, covered in pink and white sheets and large soft toys arranged neatly, a bedside table with a white lamp, a small cupboard, a table and a small book shelf on the other side of the room (loaded with books of course) and a green frog-shaped mat in the centre of the room. Glow in the dark stars were stuck to the ceiling and the floor was littered in papers, books and pencils._

_A little girl was asleep in the pile of mess. She had brown hair tied in one messy braid. Her eyes were closed behind her large round glasses. She was wearing a yellow t-shirt and white pants and was bare feet. Her bright red triangle-shaped tattoos on either of her cheeks indicated she was an Inuzuka._

"So cute!" Kurotsuchi squealed. Katsu let out a meow of complaint and Deidara stroked her head. Soon she was asleep again.

"When was this?" I asked Hana because her room was much different from when I joined the Inuzuka family.

"When I was seven," said Hana. "We hadn't even met yet."

I grinned, "This should be good."

"_Hana," said a gruff voice that could only belong to Tsume. "Hana."_

_Hana simply groaned and curled up into a ball. Tsume's hand, that had a studded bracelet, reached out to shake her. Hana groaned some more and made a disapproved face in her slumber._

"_INUZUKA HANA!" Tsume yelled._

"_The square root of 16 is 4, sensei; I swear!" Hana exclaimed as she woke up with a jolt._

"This sucks." Hana mumbled.

"Wifey is so kawaii." Sasori said with a grin.

Itachi smiled at her, "Learning square roots at such a young age?" Hana flushed red and pouted.

"_Who learns square roots at the age of seven?" Tsume asked her._

_Hana crossed her arms and pouted, "I do."_

"_Well you don't need to." Tsume said to her._

"_But I want to," Hana insisted stubbornly. "And I was about to win the school Mathlete competition. You woke me up!"_

"_First off you're only in second grade and the Mathlete competition takes only ages 13 and above," said Tsume. "Secondly, you're already good at math."_

"_But I want to join the Mathlete competition!" Hana wailed. _

"_Okay baby okay," Tsume said to calm down the girl. "You'll make it."_

"Hana you were such a nerd!" Kurotsuchi exclaimed.

"She still is one." I told her.

"Shut up!" Hana said as she turned redder.

I chuckled, "Cheer up darling! Later, you became the first eleven year old Mathlete in the history of Ame." Hana smiled proudly when I said that.

"That's impressive." Itachi said to her with a charming smile.

Hana smiled back shyly, "Thanks." I grinned and stuck my tongue out at Kurotsuchi, who huffed and looked away crossing her arms. Score one for me!

"_Mom, what are you doing with the video camera anyway?" Hana asked as she gathered the papers and books that were scattered around._

"_Oh just seeing if it still works," said Tsume. "And it does."_

"_Well I have more studying to do." Hana said as she went over to the study table. She then started to arrange the books on the shelf._

"_Say something nice to the camera," said Tsume. "Come on, baby."_

"_I wanna read!" Hana complained. "I wanna study!"_

"Nerd." Kurotsuchi and I said to Hana at the same time.

"Oh zip it." She replied as she rolled her eyes.

"_Come on," Tsume said to Hana. "Just say something to the camera. Or maybe you can sing?"_

"_Oh no," said Hana. "I can't sing!"_

"_Okay then," said Tsume. "Say something about yourself."_

_Hana thought for a while and then smiled, "Hello! My name is Inuzuka Hana. I'm eight years old and I'm in second grade! And I'm going to be a big sister!"_

_Tsume chuckled, "Yes you are. Go on, baby."_

"_Let's see," said Hana. "I'm going to take care of my baby brother or sister very well. I hope it's a girl; then I'll play with her and read to her and feed her and hold her hand while walking and . . . and uh do sister stuff!"_

"But sadly I ended up with a brother," Hana said with a sigh. "An annoying and irresponsible brother."

"I know what you mean," said Itachi. "I wanted a sister too. I got Sasuke instead. Oh well; my mother dressed him up in dresses when he was a kid."

We all laughed.

"_Okay Hana," said Tsume. "Read something for me."_

"_Okay!" Hana beamed. She then rushed over to her bookshelf and searched for a book. Finally she pulled one out and hid it behind her back as she smiled at the camera. "I'm going to read a book I've never read before."_

"_And which book is that?" said Tsume. "Because you never leave a book unread."_

_Hana shrugged, "I found it and the pictures were weird so I brought it to my room."_

"_Okay." Tsume said slowly._

_Hana opened a random page and cleared her throat before reading out, "The female eggs are fertilized by the male sperm during se-se-sec-shual oh I can't read it. It spells s-e-x-u-a-l intercourse and-"_

"_Stop!" Tsume cut in. "Hana don't read anymore."_

"_But I have questions," Hana whined. "There are words I don't understand!"_

"_You'll understand later," said Tsume as she took the book away from the little girl. "This isn't of your level. Until then, keep away from my old text books."_

_But-" Hana protested._

"_No buts!" Tsume exclaimed. And then the video went off._

I was laughing so hard I couldn't feel my face. So were Kurotsuchi, Akatsuchi and Tobi. Itachi Deidara and Sasori were chuckling too and Pein was smirking and trying to stifle a chuckle.

Hana blushed, "Big deal; I was seven back then!"

"You read . . . about . . . the reproductive chapter . . . when you were seven!" Kurotsuchi managed to say.

"Shut up." Hana said. I was pounding the floor and I laughed. I couldn't help it; Hana was reading about sex at a young age and not understanding what she was saying.

"What kind of words did you not understand, Hana-chan?" I asked cheekily.

"Pervert," Hana mumbled as she turned red. She then reached into the bowl and pulled out a name. She opened it with a frown on her face but as soon as she saw the name, she smiled. "Kurotsuchi-chan!"

"Damn it!" She cursed. She then sighed. "Oh well. Who's going to put in a video of me?"

"I am," Deidara said with a smirk. "I found this on Akatsuchi's desk, un."

"Eh?" said Akatsuchi. "When did you go to my room, senpai?"

"When we all rushed to get videos, un." Deidara said to him. He then smirked at Akatsuchi's confused expression.

Kurotsuchi gave Akatsuchi a 'This better not be too embarrassing' look and put in the video. Soon the video began.

_The room had wooden paneled walls and the floor was carpeted with a rich red carpet. On the walls were paintings of all sorts; abstract, landscape and animals. There was a stone fireplace in the corner, which was lit, and on top of it were two crystal vases with dried flowers in them._

_There were tall shelves with several books, a desk with a stack of paper and folders and a big sofa, facing the fireplace. The large glass windows had their curtains drawn and only a little bit of light poured in. The bright crystal chandelier was it up like the 4__th__ of July and it hung proudly in the centre of the ceiling._

_The camera moved and showed the other part of the room. There was a piano in the other corner of the room and on the stool of the grand instrument sat a little girl with short black hair and eyes wearing a frilly red dress and matching shoes. A big red bow adorned her messy hair. The girl had her arms crossed and was pouting._

"No way!" I said in disbelief. "Kurotsuchi, that can't be you!"

Kurotsuchi glared at Akatsuchi, "Why'd you bring a video of my piano lessons here?!"

Akatsuchi simply grinned sheepishly in response.

"_Kurotsuchi," said a gruff and stern voice. "I told you to practice!"_

_Kurotsuchi stuck her tongue out at the camera, "I don't like the piano, grandpa!"_

_Kurotsuchi's grandfather sighed, "Everyone in our family has learnt this fine instrument. It's a tradition, you could say. Now play!"_

_Kurotsuchi looked away stubbornly, "It's too hard! I like guitar better."_

"No fair," Tobi whined. "Piano is easier than guitar!"

Kurotsuchi grinned, "That wasn't the case for me."

"_Nonsense!" Kurotsuchi's grandfather yelled, making Kurotsuchi flinch. "Now play or else I will ban all the music channels that you watch!"_

_Kurotsuchi's eyes widened, "You can't do that!"_

"_I'm the Tsuchikage; I can and I will." was the reply that Kurotsuchi got._

"_Stingy." Kurotsuchi mumbled._

_A wrinkled old hand reached out to lightly swat Kurotsuchi's mouth, "No mumbling."_

_Kurotsuchi pouted and rubbed her lips. Kurotsuchi's grandfather cleared his throat, "Now then. Play something; I wish to make a video of this."_

"_Why?" asked Kurotsuchi._

"_For memories," replied her grandfather. "When you become a professional pianist, you will look back at the days that you struggled and it will bring back wonderful and nostalgic feelings. You might inspire people too."_

"_Eh?" Kurotsuchi said animatedly. "I'm not becoming a pianist, grandpa."_

"_But you will still learn the instrument," came the stern reply. "Now quit wasting the battery and play!"_

_Kurotsuchi sighed, "If I play something, can I go play with Akatsuchi and Deidara-nii?"_

"_Hmph! Fair enough." said her grandfather._

_Kurotsuchi grinned and flexed her fingers. She then started to play a broken version of 'twinkle, twinkle little star' and sang along with her own lyrics._

_**Twinkle, twinkle little star,  
Grandpa is an old geezer.  
Stingy, mean and stern, he'll be,  
Let me play with my besties.  
Akatsuchi and Deidara-nii  
must be waiting just for me!**_

"_Gotta go; bye!" Kurotsuchi blew a kiss to the camera and dashed out of the room._

"_KUROTSUCHI!" Her grandfather yelled after her. The video then went off._

"Nice song." Sasori said with a chuckle.

"You lack creativity." Deidara said as he ruffled her hair. Kurotsuchi pouted and glared at him. Deidara simply winked in response. Hana and I exchanged glances and started to smile stupidly as Kurotsuchi's face turned slightly pink.

Pein smirked at Kurotsuchi, "As expected of you."

Kurotsuchi rolled her eyes, "Oh shut up."

"In the end," said Akatsuchi. "Kurotsuchi never became a good pianist but she did become a good guitarist."

Hana grinned, "Go on Kurotsuchi-chan; pick a name."

Kurotsuchi nodded and reached into the bowl. She pulled out a slip of paper and read out the name in a sing-song voice, "I-ta-chi!"

"Put me out of my misery." Itachi muttered.

And so Kurotsuchi pulled out an AK47 from behind the couch and killed him on the spot.

.

.

.

**LOL gotcha! Sorry; I couldn't help it! XD I was just kidding. MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA . . . . –Cough, cough-**

"I'll provide the video for this one." Pein said with a smirk. Itachi gave him a glare and sighed.

We all turned our attention to the screen; the video had begun.

_It was the Uchiha Mansion kitchen. Nothing much was different . . . except for the big basket full of knitting stuff on the dining table. Balls of yarn or all colors, blue, green, yellow, pink, red you name it, was all in the basket with knitting needles and some already knit scarves, socks, sweaters and mittens._

_Not to mention that the countertops were full of baking equipment, like wooden spoons, mixers, trays and more, and ingredients like flour, chocolate syrup, eggs, milk and many others._

_A four year old boy with short crow black hair and already wise-looking onyx eyes was shushing and rocking a bundle in his arms. The baby in the bundle cried a lot and the older boy continued to quiet him down._

"_There, there," the boy said softly. "Calm down Sasuke."_

"_Itachi-chan." Mikoto, who was the one making the video, said softly to her oldest son._

"So cute!" Kurotsuchi said as she tightly squeezed Akatsuchi and Deidara's arms at the same time. They both winced at Kurotsuchi's actions. Kurotsuchi looked like a typical teenage girl who had gotten to talk to someone famous.

"Where did you get this video?" Itachi asked with a groan.

Pein shrugged, "I was going to bring one of you, Sasuke and Naruto from my mom but I just happened to meet your mom on the way. I told her about it and she gave this to me."

"Mom carries baby videos of me in her purse?" Itachi said as he twitched.

"Adorable!" Hana squealed as she attacked Itachi, who was next to her, with a hug. She took five seconds to realize what she had done and then immediately pulled away, turning as red as a tomato.

"S-sorry." She said sheepishly.

Itachi simply gave a small smile and shook his head. I threw a smug look at Kurotsuchi, who huffed and threw a glare at Sasori. Sasori seemed to be in his own world again. He'd deny it but I could feel the jealousy burn within him. If I wasn't on this bet with Kurotsuchi, I'd have helped him.

Too bad. I turned my attention back to the video.

"_Here," said Mikoto. "Let me take him from you; you must be tired dear."_

_Itachi shook his head and smiled, "It's okay mom; I like taking care of him."_

"_You sure?" Mikoto said to him._

_Itachi nodded, "Yup. We're okay, aren't we Sasuke?"_

_Baby Sasuke, who had quieted down, now started cooing and reached up his chubby baby arms and play with the tips of Itachi's hair. Itachi simply laughed._

_Mikoto giggled, "Itachi-chan, you're more of a mother than I am."_

"_I'm not a girl though." Itachi mumbled quietly, not taking his eyes off of Sasuke._

_Mikoto laughed heartily, "I know dear. But I know you'll be a wonderful husband and father to your wife and children when you grow up!"_

_Itachi's cheeks turned red as he ducked his head, "Mom!"_

I snickered as Itachi let out a deep sigh.

"Mikoto-chan still thinks that!" Tobi piped in.

"It can be true," said Kurotsuchi. "Although I wonder who his wife will be." She looked at me and I looked at her.

I played along with her, "I do too."

Itachi looked back and forth between us and then shook his head.

"_I can't wait for my boys to grow up and get married," Mikoto squealed. "You'll be first Itachi and then Sasuke. Oh how I wish you could get married _just now!"

_Itachi blushed deeper than before, "But I'm not."_

_Mikoto sighed, "It's just a dream . . . for now. Ne, Itachi-chan, tell me; did any of the girls catch your eye yet?"_

"_No mom." Itachi replied sheepishly._

_Mikoto laughed again, "Oh come on; what about that girl; what was her name? Kohana? You know the girl who is in your guitar class?"_

"_No mom." Itachi replied. He winced slightly when Sasuke pulled on his hair._

"_Well what about Temari?" asked Mikoto. "The Kazekage's oldest daughter? What do you think of her?"_

"_She's scary." Itachi said to his mother. He opened the bundle and lifted baby Sasuke up. Sasuke giggled with delight._

"Temari is scary," Sasori agreed. "And I think she has the hots for one of Sasuke's friends."

"Now I'm starting to doubt your sexuality, un." Deidara told Itachi.

"Shut up." Itachi muttered.

"Could you have been attracted to Sasuke?" Pein said with an amused tone.

"I smell incest!" Kurotsuchi declared.

"That's just disgusting." Itachi said as he shook his head.

I shrugged, "It could be true. I mean I had this theory of Kiba having a crush on Hana when he was thirteen."

"Ew," Hana said as she wrinkled her nose. "That's just . . . EW!"

"But it wasn't her; it was a T.V actress." I told her. She let out a sigh of relief.

"_Oh what about your nursery teacher's daughter? Ayako was it? I saw you playing with her when I came to get you."_

"_She was trying to attack me." Itachi muttered. _

"_Oh," said Mikoto. "Well what about that girl in your class who likes you? Aiko?"_

_Itachi shivered, "No mom."_

"You knew Aiko when you were little?" I asked him. "As in _Aiko_ from our college?"

"Family friends," he said. "That's how I know her."

Pein smirked, "Don't forget you're engaged to her."

"WHAT?!" Hana, Kurotsuchi, me and Akatsuchi exclaimed.

Itachi held up his hands, "I _was_ engaged to her. Keyword: was!" He threw a glare at Pein, probably for using the incorrect tense, who shrugged.

Sasori snickered, "It was chaos in high school, un. She kept clinging to him. But then Itachi went nuts and tore up the engagement contract right before her parents."

"Whoa!" Akatsuchi said in awe.

"The engagement was off. She still treats him like he is hers and all that annoying stuff, un." Deidara stroked Katsu, making the cat purr happily.

I let out a sigh of relief, "Thank God." This meant the bet was still on and that Hana had a chance with Itachi. Plus, I cared about Itachi enough to make sure he didn't end up with someone as dreadful as Aiko.

_Mikoto went on and on with different names of girls._

"_What about Ayame?"_

"_No."_

" _How about Mei?"_

"_No"_

"_Sayuri?"_

"_No."_

"_Umi?"_

"_No."_

"_Sara?"_

"_No."_

"_What about Yume?" Mikoto asked Itachi._

"_Mom she's three years older and looks at me funny!" Itachi protested. Baby Sasuke was playfully nibbling on Itachi's fingers with his toothless gums._

"_Oh fine." Mikoto huffed._

"_No one caught my eye yet mom," Itachi said with a sheepish smile. "I'm only four just now. But I'll let you know when that happens."_

"_You better, young man." Mikoto warned. Itachi ducked his head again. Mikoto laughed and soon baby Sasuke joined in as Itachi blushed. He buried his face in Sasuke's short raven hair. The baby simply started to pat his head. Then the video went off._

"Such a Mamma's boy, un." Deidara said with a grin.

Itachi glared at the blonde. Katsu hissed at Itachi and in return, Hana growled again, from beside Itachi.

Deidara rolled his eyes as he adjusted Katsu properly on his lap, "Put your girlfriend on a leash, un."

"I'm not his girlfriend!" Hana said as she blushed.

"Not yet." I said with a grin, ignoring the glares from Hana and Kurotsuchi.

"Pick a name Itachi." Akatsuchi said as he held out the bowl to Itachi. There were only three slips now so Itachi picked one. He opened it and smirked as he read the name, "Pein."

"Aha!" I said with a grin. "Finally I get to see baby you."

Pein raised an eyebrow, "Were you that excited and eager?"

I blushed, "N-no! I'm just curious."

"Curiosity did kill the cat," Hana said with a giggle. Katsu hissed at her again. She glared at Deidara. "I am on the verge of drowning that cat."

Deidara sighed, "Don't drag me into between you two, un."

Kurotsuchi laughed. Itachi passed her a DVD. He then smirked at Pein, "Tit for tat. Sadly, Konan, it's not a baby video. It's from middle school but it's a good one. I promise."

Pein simply rolled his eyes. We turned our attention to the screen again. The video had begun.

"_YO!" A boy, about eight years old, yelled towards the camera. He had spiky blonde hair and shining blue eyes. He also had three whisker-like marks on each cheek and was wearing a magician's costume. In his right hand was a fake wand._

"NARUTO!" Hana and I said at the same time.

"He looks so cute when he was a kid!" Kurotsuchi squealed.

"Don't know why you chicks get so hyped up over children, un." Deidara muttered. I stuck my tongue out at him. Katsu hissed at me.

I pouted, "He started it!"

"_UZUMAKI NARUTO AT YOUR SERVICE!" Naruto said happily. "But today I am 'The Amazing Naru-dini!" _**[A/N: Instead of Houdini lol]**

"_Stop making weird names for yourself." A voice said monotonously._

"_Shut up nii-san!" Naruto said as he pointed a finger to the camera."_

I looked at Pein, "So I'm guessing . . . you were making the video."

Pein looked at Itachi, "Tell me this is not the video of in me in the-"

"Yes, yes it is," Itachi said with a smirk. "I got it from mom's home video collection; she and Kushina-san are best buddies so obviously they share everything."

"Damn you." Pein cursed. He then glared at the screen.

"_Hn, whatever." Pein said flatly._

_Naruto cleared his throat, "So anyways, it's Halloween! HAPPY HALLOWEEN FOLKS! Be sure to dress up in your costumes and go trick or treating!"_

"_Naruto, stop yelling in the hallway!" Kushina's voice boomed out. She walked out of a room from behind Naruto, dressed in a witch's costume, complete with a hat, a broom, black gloves and a shiny old fashioned belt around the waist of her black gown._

"_Dear, I think this jacket is a bit too tight on me." Minato followed her dressed as a werewolf with furry brown wolf ears and matching paws. His clothes were somewhat 'tattered' and had scars and cuts dram on his arms, legs and a few on his face._

_And like he said, the jacket he was wearing seemed to be a bit small._

_Kushina looked at her husband, "Oh dear."_

_Minato smiled and scratched the back of his head, "Oh well; I won't wear it then. I'll settle for this shirt."_

"_But the jacket looks cool on you, dad!" Naruto protested._

_Minato patted Naruto's head, "Can't help it, son."_

_Naruto sighed and looked back at the camera, "So anyways this is my family. My awesome mom, Kushina, is dressed as a witch and my awesome dad, Minato, is dressed as a werewolf!"_

_Minato chuckled, "What about your awesome brother?"_

_Naruto stuck his tongue out at the camera, "He's not awesome; nii-san is such a jerk!"_

"Naruto's right you know?" I said with a grin.

Pein messed up my hair, "Annoying Blue Bird."

I pouted and stuck my tongue out at him.

"_Good to know, brat!" Pein replied._

"_Now none of that," Kushina chided. She looked at the camera and smiled. "Dear, you look adorable in that costume and it's so nice of you to play along with your brother. Why don't you show that costume off?"_

"_Hell no!" Pein said immediately._

"_What Kushina said is right," Minato said with a smile. "Here, let me take that camera."_

"_No way! No!" Pein had started to move backwards since the lens of the camera kept moving back as Minato approached. Swiftly, the camera was in Minato's hands. He turned the camera so it was facing Naruto._

_Naruto laughed and with an evil glint in his eyes he spoke, "I am the Amazing Naru-dini! Meet my assistant, Usagi-chan!"_

_The camera focused on Pein . . . who did not look so happy . . . in a ridiculous fuzzy white bunny suit._

"Holy . . ." Akatsuchi said softly.

"Holy . . ." Akatsuchi said softly.

"Mother of all-" Kurotsuchi started to say.

"Bunnies." Hana finished slowly.

There was a brief moment of silence . . . and then hell broke loose.

I was laughing so hard that I fell. Hana, trying to be polite, was trying her best to stifle her giggles but failed miserably. Kurotsuchi was leaning on Akatsuchi for support but Akatsuchi himself was laughing. Sasori and Deidara were snickering and Itachi was chuckling as well.

Pein glared at Itachi, "I hate you."

My stomach hurt so much from laughing. I sat up but had to lean on Pein's shoulder for support. He glared at me.

I grinned, "Lighten up . . . Usagi-chan!" He rolled his eyes at me and glared at the screen.

"_Naruto, I'm going to kill you." Pein said with a cold glare. He was pretty much the same with orange spiky hair, six piercings, three on either side of his nose, and alluring purple eyes, consisting of several ringlets._

_Naruto laughed and held up his fingers as a peace sign, "Chillax bro!"_

"_Don't tell me to 'chillax'" Pein said with a harder glare, which did not suit him in the bunny costume._

"_I'm sorry you had to do this darling," Kushina said as she put a hand on Pein's shoulder. "But neither Minato nor I could fit into that costume."_

"_And you know how stubborn and spoilt your brother is." Minato said as his hand reached out to ruffle a pouting Naruto's head._

"_Just for a little while," Kushina said as she rubbed her hand soothingly on his shoulder. "Then you'll be going out with your friends when they arrive, right? You can take it off then."_

_Pein sighed, "Fine."_

"_Nii-san," Naruto said as he jumped up and down. "Will you go with me to Sasuke's house?"_

"_No." Pein replied as he crossed his arms._

"_Come on!" Naruto started to whine. "A magician needs an assistant! It's the way of life dattebayo!"_

"_In which universe?" Pein said as he twitched._

_The sound of the door bell echoed through the hall. Kushina lifted Naruto with one arm and carried her broom with the other, "Okay Naruto, let's say your assistant is a witch okay? Mommy has to go over to Mikoto-chan's anyway."_

"_Okay!" Naruto said happily. He then stuck his tongue out at Pein as Kushina carried him upstairs._

"_I'll get the door." Minato said as he moved away from Pein. The lens moved towards the front door of the Uzumaki household. Minato opened the door and revealed Sasori and Deidara._

_Sasori was dressed up as some sort of puppet. He was shirtless with lines drawn on his upper body (like that of an outline of a wooden sculpture) and on the left side of his chest, right over his heart, was a circle with the kanji for 'Scorpion' written on it._

"That tattoo looks so real." I said to Sasori.

He shrugged, "It's not . . . but if I were a puppet that is the body I would have liked to have for myself."

"Oh don't start with your puppet talk." Itachi said as he rolled his eyes.

Sasori simply glared at him and Itachi glared back. Hana, who sat between them, ducked her head. I snickered and looked back at the screen.

_Deidara was dressed unusual; he was wearing a fake black beard, a turban and white robes. He grinned at the camera, "Yo."_

"Wait a minute," said Hana. She looked at Deidara. "Why were you dressed up as Osama Binladin?!"

Deidara shrugged, "He inspires me, un."

"He's a terrorist you know?" I said as I raised an eyebrow.

"I know," replied Deidara. "He's a bad man but I admire him not for what he did but for what he had the courage to do, un."

**[A/N: I used Osama Binladin here because: 1. Deidara was a terrorist before he joined Akatsuki in the anime.  
2. a guy from last year's group of seniors, his name is Dhendup, wrote that in his page for the school year book; the last line said by Deidara was directly from his page in the yearbook. Kinda inspiring ne? I hear he likes Deidara so there! And no! I don't like him **_**that**_** way XP]**

"_Hello guys," Minato said cheerfully. "Usagi-chan, look who's here!"_

"_Don't call me that!" Pein grumbled._

_Sasori and Deidara turned to Pein and their eyes widened. And then they broke into laughter._

"_Dude," Sasori said as he controlled his snickers. "Why are you wearing _that?"

"_Naruto." Pein replied gloomily._

"_Get out of it," Deidara said after he caught his breath. "You look ridiculous, un!"_

_Pein twitched, "Says the guy dressed up as a Roman Priest."_

"_I'm Osama Binladin, un!" Deidara exclaimed._

_Minato chuckled, "Now, now. Usagi-chan, get changed. Deidara and Sasori, why don't you sit down in the living room?"_

"_I've got a terrible nickname." Pein mumbled as he sulked out of the room._

"_See ya, Usagi-chan!" Sasori and Deidara said in union._

_Minato chuckled again. Then the video went off._

I was laughing really, _really, _hard; I couldn't help it. Seeing Pein in the bunny suit was the cause of this. Hana, Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi were laughing too but not as hard as me.

Pein glared at me, "Shut up."

"Make me, Usagi-chan!" I said between a fit of giggles.

Pein glared at me and then he smirked and leaned down towards me. His face was inches away from me and it immediately reminded me of the last time we had kissed. I was silent and I could feel the heat rush to my face.

"Should I really do that?" He whispered, his breath fanning my face. He knew I was thinking of that incident and was doing it on purpose. Damn him. When he leaned closer, I gulped and made a motion of zipping my lips with my fingers. He leaned away with a cocky smirk on his lips.

Everyone was staring at us. I felt myself turn redder by the second.

"What?!" I finally said.

"Something is _definitely_ going on between you two." Itachi said with a smirk.

"Oh shut up," I muttered. "Go on Moody Ass, pick a name."

There were only two slips left; one had my name and the other was Tobi's. Pein reached in and pulled out the name. He opened the slip of paper and smirked, "Well what do you know? It's the Annoying Blue Bird's turn."

"What? NO!" I exclaimed as I grabbed the paper slip from his hands to make sure he wasn't joking. Sure enough it was my name, written with my own messy handwriting earlier. I pouted. "Damn."

"Then I guess Tobi is last," Hana said with a smile. She handed Kurotsuchi a DVD. "This is one of the best videos I have of Konan-chan."

I threw her a dirty look and then turned my attention to the screen. The video had begun.

"_Will you please hold still?!" exclaimed a shrill voice. "These wings are losing a lot of feathers."_

"_I DON'T CARE!" exclaimed a girl's voice._

_It was a dressing room full of people, who looked of ages thirteen to fifteen, getting ready for something. Girls occupied the mirrors and makeup while boys practiced their lines and adjusted their costumes._

_The camera was focused on a skinny, stick-figured woman with frizzy orange hair that looked like cheese, wearing a flower-patterned dress and was fussing over something, or rather someone, in front of her, who was hidden from the camera by her physique._

_A lot of feathers flew about and finally, the orange haired woman squealed in delight and moved away to reveal a girl, about thirteen years old with topaz eyes and short dark blue hair with a paper flower in it, wearing a fluffy white gown and behind her was a pair of feathery angel wings. The girl was clutching onto a wand with her arms crossed and was looking annoyed._

"Oh no," I moaned. "Not this video! Hana!"

"Oh my god," said Kurotsuchi. "That is _not_ you!"

"But it is." Hana said with a giggle.

"This should be fun to watch, un." Deidara said to me. I glared in response.

"_Mika-sensei," said the person making the video, who was Hana. "You did a lovely job with Konan-chan!"_

_The woman laughed, "I know right? Now I have work to do. Make sure she doesn't let those wings any more feathers okay?"_

"_Sure sensei." Hana replied politely. The teacher gave a smile and skipped off to help a boy, who was having trouble getting into his costume._

_Little me glared at the camera, "Don't. Say. A. Word."_

"_Okay." Hana replied calmly. After a short moment of silence, Hana started to laugh. _

_Little me pouted, "Shut up."_

_Hana giggled, "You told me not to say anything but you didn't tell me not to laugh."_

_Little me rolled her eyes, "Whatever."_

"_Trust me Konan-chan," Hana said sweetly. "You look amazing!"_

"_I look like a chicken-hybrid!" Little me complained as she stomped her foot. A few more feathers flew off of the wings._

"_Calm down," Hana said softly. "And no you don't look that way. You look just like how a fairy Godmother should."_

_Little me crossed her arms, "Screw this Cinderella drama!"_

"This is rich," Sasori said with a chuckle. "You were the Fairy Godmother?"

"I didn't have a choice," I said as I crossed my arms. "Stupid, skinny, Mika-sensei chose me!"

_Hana sighed, "Don't say that; Cinderella is a classic."_

"_Come on Hana," Little me said with a huff. "First off, we've got a blue haired Godmother. Secondly, the prince is a douche bag who keeps ad-libbing and third, Cinderella happens to be portrayed by the most horrible person in the world!"_

"_Che! You don't look like a fairy; you looked like something that the cat dragged in. Or maybe it was one of your dogs, Inuzuka?" said a high-pitched voice. It belonged to a girl with long blonde hair and evil green eyes wearing a hell lot of makeup but her attire was that of a humble servant's._

"_Oh go attack some random guy, Tori." Little me muttered with a glare._

"OH I HATE HER!" I yelled as I threw my arms in the air.

There was a silence as everyone stared at me quizzically. I grinned sheepishly in response.

Hana sighed, "She and Konan-chan were . . . well mortal enemies in middle school."

"I am sure glad she went to Kumo or something. I don't even want to be a meter near her." I said with a relieved sigh.

"Apparently," said Sasori. "You got another enemy in college; Fuyu and Aiko. But mostly Fuyu."

"Don't remind me." I said gloomily.

"_I'm the star of the show," Tori said stylishly. "So remember to stay away from the spotlight mm'kay?" She then flipped her hair and walked off._

"_Why that little-" Little me started to say._

"_Konan-chan, your feathers!" Hana warned._

_Little me, who had clenched a fist, calmed down and sighed, "Now I really sound like some bird. And Tori is the bird brain considering her name means 'Bird.'"_

_Hana laughed, "She's the bird brain; you're a fairy."_

"_I feel so gay right now." Little me muttered._

"_Oh quit complaining; you look fine." Hana chided._

_Little me sighed and played with the wand in her hand, "What if I get my lines wrong or forget them?"_

"_Nothing will happen," Hana said soothingly. "If the first thing happens, then you can ad-lib like the prince. And if the second thing happens, you got me; I'm the stage manager after all!"_

"Awesome; Wifey is the stage manager!" Sasori said as he wrapped an arm around her. Hana blushed and gave a small giggle.

I glared at the screen and ignored Kurotsuchi who was grinning at me.

"_You should have been Cinderella," Little me told Hana. "You are waaaayyy better. Tori should have been the stepmother or one of those ugly stepsisters!"_

_Hana waved her hand, "Oh come on. I can't act. Plus, it's not my thing."_

"_You think it's mine?" I grumbled. Hana simply laughed in response._

"_Hana-chan!" called a boy's voice. "Will you be a darling and help me rehearse my lines?"_

"_Why not?" Hana said happily. "I'll see you later Konan-chan and remember; don't move."_

"_Sure," Little me said sarcastically. "It'll be fun."_

_The video ended briefly and then came back on again. This time the play had already begun and the camera was focused on the stage from backstage. The stepmother and the wicked stepsisters were laughing evilly as they left for the ball, dressed in fine gowns, leaving Cinderella in rags, alone and miserable._

"_Oh why oh why," Cinderella sobbed as she looked at the audience. "Why me?! What did I do to deserve this?!"_

"_Drama queen." Hana muttered. "Okay Cinderella's lines are down for now; time for Konan-chan's appearance."_

_Suddenly, smoke filled the entire stage covering everything. Apparently there was too much smoke. Hana started to cough and so did the people on stage._

_The smoke cleared, revealing little me and Tori; both of us we coughing violently._

"_Damn smoke," little me cursed on stage. Then she looked at the audience and gave a sheepish grin. She then shook her head and looked at Cinderella. "My dearest girl, what ever is the matter?"_

"_I wish to go to the ball and see the prince," Cinderella sniffled. "But I don't have a ride nor do I have a dress and my wicked stepmother and stepsisters didn't allow me to go!"_

"_There, there," little me said as she gingerly stroked Cinderella's hair. "I'm here to make it all better, Cinderella."_

_Cinderella looked puzzled, "How do you know my name? Who are you?"_

"_I'm your fairy Godmother!" Little me said as she twirled around once. A few feathers flew off of the angelic wings. _

"_Fairy Godmother?" Cinderella said, confused. "Tell me Fairy Godmother; why are you here?"_

"_I'm here because . . ." Little me started to say. "Because . . . because . . ."_

_It was clear that little me was forgetting her lines._

"_Aw snap." Hana muttered. The camera moved as she walked to the other side of the stage. She moved a bit closer to the stage entrance._

"_Because you look like you're in trouble so I've come to help you." Hana whispered as loud as she could._

_Little me had heard it because she looked at the stage entrance from the corner of her eyes. Hana whispered it again, louder. _

"_Oh yeah," Little me said suddenly. "I'm here because you look like you need waffles and I've come to hump you!"_

_Tori looked at me with a horrified expression. The audience started to murmur. Little me tilted her head, "Wait, that didn't sound right."_

"Oh God," Kurotsuchi said breaking into laughter. "That was hilarious!"

"Indeed!" Akatsuchi said as he laughed too.

"Epic," Sasori said as he held out his fist out towards me. "That's the word; epic!"

I grinned and extended my own fist for a fist bump.

"_Did you mean," Tori said, failing to hide the annoyance in her voice. "That I looked like I needed help and you've come to help me?"_

"_Uh yeah, yeah," Little me said awkwardly. "Whatever."_

_Tori rolled her eyes, "Tell me Godmother, how will you do that?"_

_Little me smirked, "With a wave of my magic wand, all your troubles will be gone!"_

_Little me swung the wand around but then it flew out of her hands and into the audience where it hit someone. Little me winced, "Sorry."_

"_Now how will you help me?!" Cinderella shrieked._

_Little me rolled her eyes, "Oh shut it. I'm a fairy; I don't necessarily need a wand for magic." Little me raised her arms into the air, as if summoning something. On cue, smoke enveloped the stage once more._

"_Way to go, Konan-chan." Hana exclaimed silently from backstage._

_Once the smoke cleared, little me stood with her hands on her hips and Tori in a beautiful shining blue gown and glass slippers. Tori gasped, "It's beautiful!"_

"_Well duh," little me said smugly. She then bit her lip. "So anyways, I have arranged a coach to the castle and it is waiting for you outside. But I warn you; the spell only lasts till midnight so you must be home before the clock strikes twelve."_

"_But why can't it last forever Godmother?" Tori said dreamily. She was ad-libbing._

_Little me realized this and twitched, "Look kiddo, magic works in weird ways. Now you better get to the ball before time runs out."_

_Tori smiled sweetly and thanked the Godmother many times before running off of the stage. The curtains closed, indicating that the scene had ended._

_The video went off again and then came back on. This time, little me, who was next to Hana, sighed deeply, "I'm so glad that's over."_

"_Konan-chan," came a woman's voice. The camera now showed an angry looking Mika-sensei. "You messed up! However, you managed to get your head back in the game. Good for you. Well done today." There was a hint of sarcasm in her voice._

"_Oh forget her," said Hana. "You were awesome!"_

_Little me smiled, "Thanks Hana."_

"_Hana," came another voice. "It's time for Cinderella and the prince's dance scene. Can you play the music?"_

"_Sure." said Hana. Little and Hana quickly walked towards the sound system. Hana connected thumb drive and when the moment came, she hit play._

_But instead of the piano music that was supposed to be playing, another song played._

_**I came to dance, dance, dance, dance,  
I hit the floor 'cause that's my plans, plans, plans, plans,  
I'm wearing all my favorite brands, brands, brands, brands,  
Give me some space for both my hands, hands, hands, hands,  
Yeah, yeah.**_

"_Oh God," Hana said in horror. "This is _your_ thumb drive!" Cinderella and the prince looked rather confused and the audience didn't seem to notice anything wrong and some whistled as they recognized the song._

"_Damn it!" Little me cursed as she fumbled for a microphone. She then jumped onto stage._

_**I throw my hands up in the air some times,  
Saying 'A-yo! Gotta let go!'  
I wanna celebrate and live my life,  
saying 'A-yo! Baby let's go!'**_

_Cinderella and the prince had started to play along with me to save the show. They sang with me and started to sing and dance. Soon the rest of the people on stage joined us._

'_**Cause we gon' rock this club,  
we gon' go all night.  
We gon' light this up,  
Like its dy-na-mite!  
'Cause I told you once,  
Now I' told you twice.  
We gon' light this up,  
Like its dy-na-mite!**_

_Little me then grabbed Tori's hand, "Quick Cinderella; it's almost midnight! I created this distraction so you can escape. Run!"_

_Tori understood what I was doing and ran off of stage. She didn't forget to leave a glass slipper behind. As the song ended, the curtains closed and indicated that the scene was over. The audience cheered louder than ever._

_Little me rushed off of stage. Hana squealed, "That was awesome!"_

_Little me sighed deeply, "That was close!"_

_Tori stormed over, "You little- you spoilt the whole show!"_

"_You mean she _saved_ the whole show," Hana said to her. "Now go get ready for your next act."_

_Tori huffed and walked off. Hana held out her hand and little me grinned as she slapped high fives with her._

_Mika-sensei stormed over, "You two!"_

_Little me flinched. But Mika-sensei squealed and hugged little me. The camera shook, indicating she had hugged Hana too._

"_The audience loves it," she squealed. "Well done. Ten points for each of you!"_

_Hana and little me cheered as Mika-sensei walked away. Little me grinned, "Let's eat something; I'm hungry."_

_The video went off._

"AWESOME!" Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi yelled.

I grinned, "Aw shucks, I forgot how much fun I had that day!"

"Like I said," Sasori said with a smirk. "Epic!"

"As clumsy as ever." Pein muttered. I punched his arm playfully.

"Okay Tobi," said Deidara. "It's your turn, un."

"Who brought a video of me?" Tobi asked with a sigh.

"I did." Deidara said with a smirk.

"Wait a minute," I said suddenly. "Tobi, you said 'I' and not 'Tobi.'"

Tobi gulped, "I did?"

"You did it again!" Kurotsuchi said.

The atmosphere suddenly became thick. Hana broke it, "Um . . . Tobi is something wrong?"

Tobi was very silent, which wasn't like him. Deidara, Itachi, Sasori and Pein seemed to know something; it was written all over their faces.

Itachi spoke softly, "Tobi?"

Tobi nodded, "I'm sorry guys; you are all good people and my dear friends. I can't hide this any longer from you."

"Hide what Tobi?" Akatsuki asked him.

He chuckled, "Actually 'Tobi' is more of a pet name. My real name is . . . Uchiha Obito."

And then he reached up and took off his lollipop-shaped orange mask.

**This is the longest chapter I have written Hehe. So how is it? As Tobi himself said earlier, the cliff hanger is about him. Yeah he's Obito! Of course he's Obito because he sure as hell ain't Madara. But there's more to it. Stay tuned for the next chapter to solve the mystery of Tobi! Read and review.**


	27. Chapter 27

**Me: Get ready for the mystery of Tobi . . . or should I say Obito!**

**Chicky: Finally!**

**Obito: Enjoy folks!**

**CHAPTER 27**

This is the first time that I'm seeing Tobi without his mask on.

Like all the Uchihas I have met so far, he had onyx black eyes. He grinned sheepishly and he looked as innocent and childish as he acted. Although he was all smiles and being sheepish he seemed to be very tired and stressed; like he had lost all his stamina, which we all knew he had a full tank of.

"So," Hana said clearing her throat. "Tob- I mean Obito-san-"

Obito pouted, "Hana-chan! No formalities just because I removed my mask, please!"

Hana laughed, "Obito then. So why did you take off your mask in front of us now?"

"And change your whole personality along with it?" Kurotsuchi said slowly; she seemed to be focusing on Obito's face.

Obito held up his hands, "Okay I'll explain."

"Hold on," said Akatsuchi. He looked at the members of the Akatsuki. "You guys knew? I mean Itachi is a relative but the rest of you?"

Sasori nodded, "We knew each other since we were children so of course we knew. But I never thought that . . . Obito, I didn't know you had healed this well."

Obito laughed sheepishly, "Ah! Sorry guys. It just happened after getting back to Konoha. I was going to tell you . . ."

"But you forgot, un." Deidara said as he rolled his eyes.

Obito crossed his arms and stuck his tongue out, "Stop being mean, senpai!"

"If you had healed fully, you'd know I'm not really your senpai, un." Deidara muttered.

"I know that!" Obito yelled. "It's just a habit that I've had forever; you know that!"

"Oo-kay," I said. "I did not understand that conversation."

"The thing is," said Sasori. "Obito is the same age as Deidara, a few months older actually, so Deidara is not really his senpai. However, when Obito and Deidara first met as kids, Obito often referred to him as senpai since he didn't know that Deidara was months younger than him. Plus Deidara looks older than he really is, don't you think?"

"Stop making me sound like an old grandpa." Deidara said as he twitched.

"Wait," said Kurotsuchi. "To- I mean Obito when is your birthday?"

"10th February," He replied automatically. "Why?"

"Deidara-nii's Birthday is in May and if I remember correctly," said Kurotsuchi. "Itachi, your birthday is in June. So that means . . . you're the youngest in the group! Aren't you Itachi?!"

"I'm not; stop making me sound like a baby." Itachi muttered.

Sasori laughed, "Actually, I'm the oldest. Itachi, Deidara and Obito are the same age but by months, Obito is the oldest, and then comes Deidara and finally Itachi. Pein's the youngest since he is a year younger than Itachi, Deidara and Obito."

"At least I am way mature than you bimbos." Pein muttered as he crossed his arms.

I grinned and poked his cheek, "Awww poor baby!" Actually it was hard to believe that Pein, the _leader_ of Akatsuki, was younger than the rest of the members. I thought he'd be the oldest . . .

"So why did you say at first that Obito was a year younger than Itachi-kun?" Hana asked.

"That was just to cover up awkward topics about his . . . illness." Sasori said slowly.

Silence filled the room. Soon, Pein spoke, "You haven't explained the illness yet, dumbass."

Sasori glared at him, "I was getting there!"

"No," said Obito. "I'll explain it myself."

"Go on then." Akatsuchi prompted softly.

"Well," said Obito. "I am related to Itachi through his father. His father's older brother was my father. His name was Izuna but he died when I was four and my mom had already died giving birth to me.

I lived with my uncle, Madara, my dad's older brother, but he too followed my father to the grave after I turned ten. I then lived with Itachi and his family and I have till now."

"That doesn't explain this . . . 'illness.'" I quoted with my fingers.

"It was back in middle school," he said. His eyes had a faraway look in them. "I was crazy for this girl. Her name was Rin and well you could say it was love at first sight. I'm pretty sure she knew that I liked her too; it was kinda obvious. Stop laughing at my face, senpai!" Indeed Deidara was biting his lower lip but was failing to hide a grin.

"Okay, sorry," Deidara said with a snicker; he didn't really sound sorry. "Continue, un."

"So yeah after asking her out-" said Obito.

"And getting rejected an awful lot of times." Pein said with a small smirk.

"I wasn't 'rejected an awful lot of times' as you put it. Now then, should I continue the story or not?" Obito said with a pout.

"Yes you should." Kurotsuchi and I said as we glared at Deidara and Pein.

Obito grinned, "Okay then. So after asking her out a couple of times, since she seemed hesitant but at the same time she was teasing me, one day, she finally agreed to go out with me. Well as cheesy as it sounds, we fell in love with each other. And even though we weren't even in high school, I asked her to marry me."

"That's crazy!" I butted in. No offense to Obito but if a guy did that to me, I'd be totally freaked out.

Obito laughed and sighed, "Yeah; totally crazy."

Hana pinched my arm, "No it's not. It's so romantic!"

I winced and rubbed by sore arm as I glared at Hana, "Whatever."

"Continue Obito." Kurotsuchi said with a grin.

"She, to my surprise, said yes," Obito said with a smile. "And we talked about how we would get married, have kids, grow old and basically how we'd spend the rest of our lives together."

"Awww!" Hana said dreamily.

"Remind me to tell Hana's boyfriend in the future to propose to her early." I muttered to Pein. He simply rolled his eyes.

"Everything was perfect," Obito went on. "We did crazy stuff together, despite our age. We tasted alcohol one time and we were so high we found ourselves waking up in the woods in the morning. We had so much fun and loved every second we spent with each other. But then something changed. Rin became . . . distant. Sure, we hung out and stuff but though we were a couple, I still felt like she was hiding something from me.

During our second year in middle school, she broke up with me. I was devastated and it made it worse that she kept avoiding me like I was the plague. I had no idea what I had done or what went wrong. It just . . . ended . . . so suddenly. She stopped coming to school and a year had passed. I was about to start high school by then and I couldn't seem to figure out what was wrong. I found out the reason why after the following two months."

Obito seemed to be struggling as he said the next line, "She was suffering from leukemia and by the time I found out, she was already in the hospital and had only weeks to live."

Hana let out a small gasp and Kurotsuchi already had tears in her eyes. Akatsuchi was holding her hand in a comforting gesture but he looked like he was going to cry too. I wonder how my expression looked. Tears did not blur my vision. Instead I felt a sense of . . . understanding. I lost my parents but I never lost a lover. I never even had one. But something, a vague feeling, in my heart made me understand his pain.

"She loved me," Obito whispered. It sounded like he said it to himself rather than to us. "She always did. She just didn't want me to get hurt. She told me that I was the greatest thing that ever happened to her. After she died in front of me, something snapped inside me and my very being.

I lost all sense and I was as good as dead. I hardly talked or slept or ate or even _lived_. I simply existed. And then one day, I forgot everything that had happened with Rin or my middle school year. I didn't even know who I was or who my family and friends were. All I knew was that my uncle had died; the only vague memories I had been of my ten year old self after losing my uncle, Madara.

Only Itachi's family and Pein's family know. Sasori and Deidara too. Kisame doesn't know what really happened but he does know a bit of it. Mikoto-chan changed my name to Tobi, in hopes that my new identity would be as free as a kite in the sky without any troubles. Kushina-chan gave me my mask since I kept complaining 'Tobi is old! Tobi is old!'"

"You _are _old," said Itachi. "You just don't act your age."

Obito gave a small smile, "I guess so."

"How did you . . . heal?" Akatsuchi asked slowly.

"I get a few of my memories, like a slideshow of pictures," said Obito. "It was confusing at first but slowly I got used to it and learnt how to cope with it as well. After I got here to Konoha, I have healed fully."

"What about you being scared of the rain?" I asked.

"Senpai!" Obito whined as he turned to Deidara. "I know you told Konan-san but do you have to make it sound like I'm such a wimp?!"

"Yes." Deidara said with a smirk.

Obito rolled his eyes, "Meanie. Well Konan-san I'm not really scared of the rain. It spooked me at first since it brought more visions and memories than usual. It's probably because it was raining that day; the day Rin . . . passed away. It brought back many memories of the past which I couldn't understand since I had forgotten. It wasn't really the rain I was scared of, it was the memories. I don't think I'll be bothered much the next time it rains."

"Ne, what's wrong with these two?" Akatsuchi said slowly as he looked cautiously at Kurotsuchi and Hana, who seemed to be . . . struggling?

Kurotsuchi was nibbling furiously on my lower lip and Hana had brought her hands to her face. A tear ran down Kurotsuchi's face, "So . . . beautiful . . ."

Hana sniffled, "S-s-screw those N-Nicholas Sparks-based m-movies."

Obito smiled, "Awww girls, don't cry for me."

In response, the two attacked Obito with a hug which knocked him down.

"Good way to pick up chicks huh?" Obito said with a sheepish grin. His face was pink from all the attention he was getting. Kurotsuchi and Hana laughed as they pulled away. They brushed away the tears and smiled at Obito.

"That was very touching Obito," Akatsuchi said as he sighed. "You are a very brave person."

Obito grinned sheepishly, "Really? I don't think so . . ."

"You are," I told him. "To lose someone important and to be able to withstand and survive the pain, that is bravery."

Obito blushed, "Gee thanks Konan-san."

I blinked hard. Those words just came pouring out of my mouth. It was like someone else was speaking using my mouth. Or rather I was reading them from somewhere. Whatever it was, those words weren't originally mine.

A sudden throb ran through my head and I doubled over. And I thought these pains were gone. It was just like the first time, a sudden hard pound in my head like someone dropped a huge bowling ball right on top of my head.

Before I fell, the person next to me caught me and held me up. That person, of course, was no other than Pein. He frowned as he helped me sit up. I then heard Hana's worried voice, "Oh God, Konan-chan what's wrong?"

I meekly shook my head, "I-I'm fine. I just had this sudden throb again."

"Again?" questioned Itachi. "You mean you've been experiencing this before?"

I laughed and shook my head, which made my head throb a little again, "I'm fine! Really I am!"

"You should get yourself checked up, un." Deidara said as he placed a hand on my forehead, checking for a fever. I closed my eyes and in my head, I bowed to Kurotsuchi for forgiveness for this. It was awkward being friends with someone who liked one of your other friends if you know what I mean.

"Well enough sulking," I said with a grin. "Thanks for sharing Obito; I'm glad that you trust us."

Obito sighed, "It feels nice to be called by my real name."

"My advice; stop wearing that mask," said Kurotsuchi. "You're just hiding who you are."

"I . . . I don't know." Obito said slowly.

Hana put her hand on his shoulder, "Take your time to decide." Obito smiled sweetly at her and then leaned in to whisper something in her ear. Whatever he said made Hana blush and hit his arm playfully.

"Obito!" Hana said with a pout.

Obito laughed, "What? I am so betting on it."

Hana huffed, "Deidara-san, let's watch that last video."

Deidara snickered, "Finally, un."

"Better not be anything embarrassing." Obito mumbled.

Deidara smirked, "It isn't . . . much." Kurotsuchi laughed as she put the video in the VCR and we all turned our attention to the screen. The video had begun.

"_WHAT THE HELL?!" a voice yelled loudly. Surprisingly, the voice was from a familiar red head._

"What the hell?" Sasori said as he glared at Deidara.

Deidara snickered, "This is from High School Senior Prom Night."

"Oh God no!" Obito moaned. "Not this video! Senpai!"

"Hush hush," Kurotsuchi chided. "Let's watch."

_They were in the Uzumaki household. Sasori was wearing a black tuxedo with a white dress shirt and a black bow tie. He was glaring at Deidara, who was laughing his head off wearing a brown tuxedo with a white dress shirt and no tie._

"_Damn you," Sasori grumbled. "First you steal my prom date and now you are setting me up with someone I don't know. What's next?"_

_A light chuckle sounded. It was Itachi, "Relax Sasori. It was a dare."_

"_Why does it involve me?" Sasori said as he glared at the screen. "This is not fair."_

"_You'll see how this involves you." Itachi said in a sly tone._

"Awww looks like somebody stole Sasori's girlfriend!" Akatsuchi said with a grin.

Sasori looked at Deidara with a raised eyebrow. Deidara shrugged, "Oh chill out. It was for the sake of Tobi; plus Pein didn't have a date, un."

In response, Pein threw the nearest pillow at the laughing blonde.

"I hate you."Pein muttered.

Itachi smirked, "You're just saying that because she tried to 'get comfy' with you the whole night." Pein shivered slightly. I snickered and looked back at the screen.

"_Oi Tobi," Deidara yelled. "Come out now; we're getting late, un." _

"_No!" the reply came from the top of the stairs. "Tobi looks awful! Tobi feels . . . uh . . . gay!"_

"_You are gay you idiot," Deidara said as he rolled his eyes. "Now get your butt down here or I'm coming up, un."_

"_Will you guys stop bickering?" Pein said lazily as he got up from the couch. He was wearing a brown tuxedo and white dress shirt like Deidara but he wore a grey and black striped tie._

"_You seem excited." Itachi said sarcastically._

_Pein glared at the camera, "I don't even want to go."_

"_Now now," Itachi said as he reached out and patted Pein's head, making him twitch. "You have a date tonight."_

"_You mean _my_ date." Sasori mumbled gloomily._

"_Tons of girls out there, Sasori no danna," Deidara said with a shrug. "Sheesh."_

_Sasori smacked the back of Deidara's head, "Stop making me sound like a lovesick girl you idiot."_

"_This sucks!" exclaimed a voice. The camera focused on the top of the stairs. Tobi stood at the top . . . fidgeting in a big and puffy golden gown. _

"Holy shit!" Kurotsuchi said before falling down in a fit of giggles.

Hana laughed too, "Oh my god; what did you do to him?!"

I joined Kurotsuchi on the floor, giggling. I saw Deidara was Sasori snicker and Itachi and Pein smirked. Obito pouted and crossed his arms.

_He was also wearing a brown wig which was curled and tied in a bun. His orange mask was still on there was a pair of pink lips painted on the outside, along with some blush and blue eyeliner over his eyehole. A sparkling blue eye was painted on the other side, making him look like a doll with a head made out of pumpkin. Even his chest was made shapely to form the shape of breasts._

"_Oh . . . God!" Sasori said as he burst into laughter, joined by Deidara. The camera shook indicating Itachi was laughing too. Pein smirked and covered his mouth with his hand to control his chuckles._

"_This is not funny!" Tobi said when he reached the bottom of the stairs. He stomped his foot hard, showing the pair of pretty golden sandals he was wearing._

"_Okay okay," said Sasori as he calmed down. "He's right; it's not funny."_

_Tobi let out a small sigh of relief as everyone quieted down, "Thank you!"_

_Deidara grinned, "IT'S HILARIOUS, UN!" And hell broke loose once more._

_Tobi crossed his arms, "Tobi wants to change!"_

"_No can do," said Deidara. "You are Sasori's date for the prom."_

"_Yeah, so- WAIT WHAT?!" Sasori exclaimed._

"_That's the dare," Itachi explained. "Tobi is your date for the prom."_

"Oh this is rich!" I said as I started to laugh again. Everyone did (except for Itachi who chuckled and Pein who was smirking widely). Sasori and Obito crossed their arms and glared at a certain blonde who was laughing his head off.

"You looked cute, Obito," Hana reassured while patting Obito's back. She was stifling her giggles. "You looked like a doll."

"Humph!" said Obito. "That that Itachi-nii and Sasori-senpai; I got complimented by Hana-chan!" Hana turned beet red and slapped Obito's arm.

"Shut up." Sasori and Itachi muttered.

"_No way," Sasori said as he crossed his arms and shook his head vigorously. "No, no, not in a million years, NO!"_

"_It's either Tobi as your prom date," said Deidara, who was failing to control his snickers. "Or you guys have to kiss and we take a picture, un."_

"_NO!" Both of them said at the same time._

"_No shouting guys!" Kushina's voice rang out from somewhere inside the house._

"_Sorry Kushina-chan!" Tobi yelled back._

"_Itachi, give me that camera, un." Deidara said as he stepped forward._

_After a bit of shuffling, the camera revealed Itachi, who was walking towards Sasori while tying his hair. He was wearing a black tuxedo with a white dress shirt and a plain black tie. He was smirking at Sasori all the way, while Sasori glared at him._

"_You have five minutes," Pein said while looking at the watch. "It's prom date or kissing."_

"_No fair!" Tobi whined. "The options aren't fair!"_

"_I agree." Sasori said with a huff._

"_Geez lighten up." Itachi said as he slapped Sasori's back; hard. Sasori staggered forward, knocking Tobi over. Both of them fell onto the floor, with Sasori on top of Tobi; his face was . . . right in between Tobi's fake breasts._

"_Senpai!" Tobi screamed in a really girly way. "Get off of Tobi's breasts!"_

"_You don't have breasts you idiot; you're a guy!" Sasori snapped as he struggled to get up. Apparently, Tobi's dress had way too many layers and had tangled them together. The more Sasori struggled and Tobi screamed and clawed at Sasori's tuxedo jacket, the more it looked like they were having clothed sex._

_Deidara burst out laughing, "Oh yeah; this is rich, un!"_

_Itachi was laughing softly as well while Pein smirked and covered his mouth once again to stifle his laughter._

"_Stop moving Senpai!" Tobi screamed again._

"_Stop screaming!" Sasori replied harshly._

"_That sounded . . . so wrong, un." Deidara said slowly. But the moment was short-lived for he started to laugh once again. The video then went off._

"Oh . . ." I said slowly.

"My-" Hana said quietly.

"God!" Kurotsuchi whispered.

And once again, for the umpteenth time that day, we broke out laughing. Sasori and Obito were looking a bit pink as they glared into space.

"In the end," Itachi said with a smirk. "We let Tobi wear a tuxedo to the prom and Sasori got his date back. However, she seemed more interested in Pein."

I wiped the tears that had formed in my eyes and grinned at Sasori and Obito, "That was, borrowing Sasori's words, epic!"

Sasori sighed and then gave a small grin, "It is kinda funny now that I think of it."

Obito chuckled and nodded, "Yeah. But . . . I CAN'T BELIEVE SCREAMED LIKE THAT!"

"I can't believe you said 'Get off of Tobi's _breasts_.'" Pein said with a smirk.

Obito pouted, "No fair Pein-san!"

"Well then," Akatsuchi said as he got up and stretched. "Now that we're done and it's getting late, let's have dinner shall we?"

"Yup." Everyone agreed.

And so after a wonderful dinner of spaghetti and pizza and coke, we all headed for our respective homes. Hana and I went straight to bed; after all, we h=need to save up our energy for we were heading back to Ame tomorrow.

Time sure flies when you're having fun.

**So how was it? It ain't much, I know. Hope you liked the video though ^_^ More about Rin will be revealed later. Read and Review!**


	28. Chapter 28

**Me: YO!**

**Well in the last chapter, I cleared the mystery of Tobi. In this chapter, let's add a road trip; back to Ame! Konan's visions become slightly sharper! BEWARE!**

**Sasori: Thank you so much to all those who reviewed and thanks everyone for the kind words; this story has 153 reviews and its all thanks to you guys. **

**Me: Yesterday was Hana-chan's birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY HANA! Also, it was one of my friend's birthday so yeah, happy birthday Yeshey. **

**Sasori: For Psy-chan, Unit tests coming up and it is super stressful but hopefully by this time next week, we'll be ready with the next chapter. **

**Me: Anyway, anyone read the latest manga chapter (SPOILER ALERT!) Sasuke-kun made me so happy. Thanks Kishi-sensei; this **_**really**_** makes up for killing Neji. Now please let SasuSaku happen. Damn Karin spoilt my whole mode when she touched Sasu-kun but nevertheless, the chapter (627) was epic!**

**Sasori: Enjoy folks!**

**CHAPTER 28**

I felt myself tear up and Tsume handed me a bento box. She grinned, "I made some of your favorite dumplings. Eat well and stay strong okay?"

I nodded and hugged her for the umpteenth time that morning. We had just finished loading the back of the cab. Sasori and Deidara had come over to help us out with the luggage and stuff. They were also coming back to Konoha but they had to go to Suna first to see Sasori's grandma again. Dude must love his grandma a lot.

Right now we were saying our goodbyes. Hana and Kiba were having a brother-sister moment. Hana smiled as she ruffled his hair and gave him a last hug.

We switched places and I went over to Kiba. We settled for a fist bump but that was short lived; Kiba pulled me into a tight embrace which I returned with a small laugh. I was really going to miss the guy. He pulled away and grinned, "Take care of yourself."

I grinned, "It's not like we're going for war or something; we'll be back in no time."

"You better." He replied gravely. He then laughed and gave me one last hug which, again, I returned.

Tsume looked at Sasori and Deidara, "You two take care alright? Thanks for everything."

Sasori bowed politely, "Thank you Tsume-san; and it's not a problem."

Deidara's phone started to buzz. He looked at the screen of his phone and sighed as he answered, "Midget."

He listened for a while. His expression softened a bit, "What's the occasion, un?"

He listened again and he smiled slightly at the response he had gotten, "Yeah. Thanks. You too."

He then hung up and put his phone back in his pocket. He shook his head, "She can be so unpredictable at times, un."

I looked at him, "Was that Kurotsuchi?"

"Yeah," he replied. "She and Akatsuchi are leaving for Iwa today. She was saying goodbye."

I smiled and nodded, "That's nice." Kurotsuchi had received a phone call from her grandfather last night, telling her to return for there were family matters to be discussed and she as the heir to all the Tsuchikage's state had to return immediately.

"What did you mean by 'unpredictable'?" I asked.

Deidara looked at the sky, "It's like . . . one minute she is the annoying and loud girl that I grew up with and the next minute she's another person, un. She said cooked me some of my favorite food and that it's in the fridge for later. She told me to be safe and . . . take care. She's changed a bit and . . . you could say I need some time to adjust with this new person; she has really grown, un."

I smiled at him, "Do you like her?"

He seemed baffled by my question, "What?"

"I said do you like her." I repeated.

Deidara sighed, "She's one of my best friends and she occupies a special place in my heart. I do like her but . . . not _that _way. I like . . . someone else, un."

I looked around to make sure Kurotsuchi wasn't around to hear what Deidara had just said. It would shatter her into pieces. Hana had heard and I saw her look at me with worry. I wet my lips and spoke, "She really cares about you; even though she doesn't show it. You better look out for her as well."

Deidara stared at me for a moment and then nodded slowly. I gave a small and stiff smile before walking over to the cab. Why couldn't he see how much Kurotsuchi loved him? Could she really be no more than a close childhood friend to him?

"Well we'll take our leave now," said Sasori. He grinned and me and Hana. "See you back in Ame."

"Bye!" The two of us called out.

He and Deidara then drove away in Deidara's car. After they were gone, we climbed into the cab and waved goodbye to Tsume and Kiba as the cab pulled out of the driveway. The Haimaru brothers whined and followed us till the gates of Konoha and once the cab passed through it, the three howled in farewell. Hana sniffled and meekly waved goodbye.

Konoha was so much fun. I just have to come back here more often. I looked at the clear sky; too bad I didn't get to see my rainbow. But nevertheless, it was awesome spending the vacation with family and friends. Speaking of friends, I thought of Kurotsuchi and Deidara again.

"Poor Kurotsuchi." Hana whispered softly. I nodded. Who could Deidara like so much that he is blinded? Who was responsible from preventing Deidara to see how much Kurotsuchi loved him?

And then something hit me.

_Kurotsuchi sighed, "He likes someone else, and I know it."_

"_Who?" I asked her. "I'll tear that little-"_

"_You." She cut in._

"_What?" I was clearly confused._

"_He likes you," she said softly. "And I should respect that. I'm sorry for acting like such a bitch towards you. It's not fair for you."_

"Hey Hana," I said as I looked at my best friend. "Could it be possible . . . for someone to like me?"

Hana laughed, "Of course! You're a wonderful person. Why do you ask?"

I was silent; could the person Deidara liked . . . be me? Hana understood what was on my mind through my silence.

"Konan-chan," Hana said softly. "I-"

"That's just silly!" I said with a small laugh. "He doesn't like me; he just can't!"

"But what if he does?" Hana questioned. "Then what Konan-chan?"

I had no answer. Deidara was a sweet person, not to mention him being good looking. But I could never see him as anything more than an older brother. And even if I did like him back, how could I do such a thing to Kurotsuchi? This sucked; it really, really sucked.

"I guess we wait," Hana concluded. "Time will reveal everything. And it will heal everything in the process."

"I guess." I agreed. I grinned at her and she smiled back.

The cab driver had sensed the gloomy air around us and played some music. He played the song 'Party Rock Anthem' by LMFAO. Hana and I laughed and sang along as well as bounced in our seats. The driver chuckled and shook his head.

"Do you think the Akatsuki are performing at the rain festival?" asked Hana.

Every year, the people of Ame put up this awesome festival called the rain festival and it lasted for two weeks. The first week is usually for preparations and the second week is party, party, party all the way! There are food stalls, music concerts, carnivals and more. It's just a whole week of pure fun.

If the Akatsuki performed at the festival, not only would the place be crowded but I'm pretty sure their fans would scream more than Michael Jackson's fans did at his concerts; not to mention twice the number of fainting fans.

"We should suggest it to them." I said with a smile.

Hana nodded, "Yup. And also you should perform."

"Me?" I said, baffled. "Actually _you_ should perform."

"Oh no," Hana said shaking her head. "Not this time, Konan-chan. You should surely sing. Maybe you could perform with the Akatsuki."

As a kid and even now, I loved all the performances of the Rain festival. Maybe I should participate. Just for the fun of it; I mean it sounds like fun . . .

"You know what?" I said with a smile. "I think I'm going to do it."

Hana squealed, "Awesome! You gotta write a song ASAP!"

I grinned sheepishly, "I guess I should start early this time."

The whole ride to Ame was a talkative one. Hana and I discussed what type of song to sing and I also agreed to get help from Sasori again with the music; the dude was awesome.

"What are you going to write about?" Hana asked.

I shrugged, "What do you think?"

"A party song," Hana beamed. "It needs to be one with lots of dub step and awesome beats. And of course, no song is complete without your hardcore rapping."

I laughed, "Hana!"

Hana giggled, "I speak the truth."

On the way, there was a small traffic jam due to an accident of two cars. The cab driver sighed, "Looks like we'll be here for a while."

I sighed too. I took out my iPod and listened to some K-pop music. I was listening to I am the best by 2NE1 and Hana was reading a book called Catching Fire. I closed my eyes and focused on the beat of the music. Soon, I was embraced by slumber. I was in my own dream world.

_The dream was more sharper and clearer this time. It was a playground; to be more specific, it was Ame Park. I was on the swing and a boy with spiky orange hair and heart-melting brown eyes was pushing the swing I was sitting on. He was wearing a grey t-shirt with a beige half pant and grey sneakers._

_There was something weird though; I was in my eleven year old body. I was wearing a blue blouse with white running shorts and white flip flops which felt like they were going to fall off with every swing. _

_This was like a nightmare. It confused me to no end. Everything felt familiar yet . . . I couldn't seem to remember when this had happened. What was this? It was a calm and peaceful scene but it made fear and panic swell inside me. _

_However, despite the confusing situation I couldn't understand, I felt happy and free as I swung higher and higher up on the swing. I felt mouth move on its own to speak._

_I smiled, "Mou, higher! Push higher!"_

_The boy groaned, "Konan! My arms hurt."_

_I set my feet on the ground and grinned, "Sorry."_

_The boy grinned back, "Nah, don't worry about it. Anything for you, remember?"_

_The heat rushed up to my cheeks, "Stop it, you."_

_The boy laughed, "So, your birthday is coming up?"_

"_Yeah." I said slowly as I swung slowly by myself on the swing._

_The boy shoved his hand in his pocket and looked away with a small blush on his cheeks, "Well what do you want?"_

_I was confused, "What do you mean?"_

"_I meant what do you want for your birthday." He said as he cleared his throat. I looked at him, surprised. _

_I nevertheless answered, "I don't want anything. You remembered, that's all that matters to me."_

"_No way," the boy said folding his arms. "I gotta get you something."_

_I pondered for a while and then smiled at the orange-haired boy, "Promise me something."_

"_Yeah?"_

"_Never leave me?" I said quietly as I looked at my feet. Traitor tears welled up inside my eyes. Immediately, a pain welled up inside my chest; the pain I had felt when I lost my family. A tear slipped out of my eye. The pain was almost unbearable; I felt alone and hopeless._

_The boy with the orange hair looked at my sad form and smiled softly. He then knelt in front of me and held my hand in his. He grinned, "I'm not going anywhere. Remember; I'll never leave you alone."_

_I looked up with teary eyes and sniffled; my vision blurred, "P-promise?"_

_The boy nodded, "I promise. Oh, and Konan? I want to tell you something."_

"_Huh?" I said as I reached up and brushed away my tears._

_The boy grinned, "Konan, you're the most amazing person in the world!" And with that, the boy kissed my cheek._

_Suddenly, everything started to fade. For a moment everything was warm and peaceful but now it was as if a strong gust of wind and pulling me away from the orange-haired boy; farther and farther until his smiling image disappeared._

I let out a scream as I woke up with a jolt. I was sweating and breathing heavily. My hands had fisted on the seat of the cab and my nails dug deep into the covers; oops. Hana's cool hands felt my face immediately, "Konan-chan! What's wrong? Are you okay?"

I was breathless and couldn't speak for a moment. Hana gently stroked my back and helped me calm down. But right now I was anything but calm. What was happening to me? Where did that dream come from? What did it mean?

"Konan-chan . . ." Hana said, her voice laced with worry.

"You okay there?" The cab driver asked as he slowed the car and turned to look at me briefly.

I nodded meekly, "Yeah; I just had this unusual dream, that's all."

Hana didn't look convinced. I squeezed her hand to assure her that I was fine and that I would tell her about it later, after we got out of the cab. Hana nodded slowly and gave my hand a squeeze before pulling away.

I sighed and rolled down my window; we were already in Ame and now we were on our way towards the college. Through the streets, I could see everyone getting ready for the festival. But my mind was somewhere else; I tried to think about the dream but like the usual visions, it hurt my head.

I groaned softly and settled for some music. Unfortunately, my iPod battery had finished. I cursed silently. Hana laughed and held out one of her earphones of her MP3. I smiled at her and put it on. We listened to Just Dance by Lady Gaga.

Once we reached the college, we unloaded our stuff and thanked the cab driver. He wished us well and drove off. We immediately headed for our dorms.

Once we opened the doors, both of us just left our luggage there at the door and jumped on the bed. Hana sighed, "We're back!"

I snickered, "Yeah."

No use being a lazy bum. We picked ourselves up and brought our luggage into the dorm room and started to unpack. Once we were one, we took turns showering and changing into something more comfy. I put my iPod in the charger and played 'Dance Again' by Jennifer Lopez from Hana's laptop.

Hana had just finished drying her hair and she took a seat on the edge of my bed. I minimized the volume of the laptop. Hana smiled apologetically, "I'm sorry Konan-chan but I'm just . . . concerned."

I smiled and nodded, "I know." I told her about what I saw. I remembered every detail. I ignored the pain throbbing at the side of my head as I told Hana.

I sighed, "I'm going mentally insane."

Hana hugged me, "That's not the case. Look on the bright side; at least these visions are getting clearer. We'll figure it out soon enough. Just trust me okay?"

I leaned my head on my shoulder, "Okay."

Hana giggled and snapped her finger, "Why don't you work on your song to clear your head while I run over to town to register for you. I need to pick up some aspirin anyways."

I grinned, "Sounds like a good plan to me."

Hana smiled and got off of the bed. She put on her black over coat over what she was wearing; a maroon sweatshirt with the number six in the front and a grey track pant with flip flops. She grabbed her purse and gave me a small wave before walking out of the dorm.

I sent a text to Tsume, telling her about our safe arrival in Ame. I didn't tell her about my dream for I did not want to trouble her. If she found out, I know I'd get my ears pulled. Yikes!

I grabbed my lyric journal and began to work. I came up with nothing. I kept making careless mistakes and soon I let my mind wander and started to write/draw gibberish in my journal. I even tore out a page or two.

Apparently, my mind was still fuzzy. My mind was now flooding with unanswered questions. For instance, who was that orange-haired boy? Were these dreams real or fake? If real why don't I remember them and if fake why are they haunting me like this?

I groaned and dropped my pen and journal. I threw myself back on the bed. I didn't want to sleep; more dreams were the last thing I needed right now. So I forced myself up and shook my head. I picked up my journal again and began to work.

Might as well let out my frustrations lyrically ne?

**Me: I know it's short; I'm sorry. It was kinda rushed. I mean I hardly get time to write nowadays; stupid Unit Tests. **

**Sasori: Konan's memories get sharper! What do you think about the dream? There will be more of those, don't worry. **

**Me: Anyways I'll try to make the next chapter longer and more interesting. Also, I'll try for an early update okay?**

**Sasori: Hugs from me to those who read and review! ^_^**

**Both of us: Ja ne!**


	29. Chapter 29

**Me: Hey guys. Thanks so much for the kind reviews! You made my day!**

**Sasori –sexy smirk- My hugs to Konan-chan (InnocentBlossom), jasminepetals12, Yuaki1707, Daisy Kaminari and coolseal9**

**Me: Oo-kay . . . Well my unit tests are going well and yay! I got 31.5 out of 40 in Biology, 36 out of 40 in Dzongkha and 39 out of 40 in English. People got higher than me but that just means I have to work harder! **

**Sasori: Enjoy this chapter; sorry it's kinda short.**

**Me: Yeah. This one has a lot of Sasori moments.**

**Sasori: Yea- wait what?**

**Me: Enjoy!**

**P.S: ****Sashamiivers29, thanks so much for the kind words ^_^**

**CHAPTER 29**

College was much quieter since everyone had gone home to their families. Only a few teachers and students were around. It was around seven in the morning and Hana, who was pretty tired after our trip, was still sleeping in bed; normally it's her who wakes up earlier than me.

There was a light drizzle and the morning air smelled fresh and heavenly. Everything was calm and peaceful. I missed the rain; I've always loved it. I put on my hoodie over my head and walked out into the open. I shivered slightly as the cool air tickled my face. I then took a deep breath and smiled.

I looked at the sky and thought about my dream. It was so . . . frustrating you know? It's like you know what it is but you don't know what it is! Okay that made no sense. Okay so if I use an example to describe what I'm feeling, it's like listening to a song on the radio somewhere, blindly, and after a long time, when someone plays that song, you feel like you know the song but you just can't place a finger on what the song was or who sang it.

In my case, I had no idea what the dream was all about or who the orange haired boy was.

My feet had led me to the back of the college. Today I had the place to myself since Pein was still in Konoha. Even so, I looked around to see any sign of an orange head.

Wait a minute; orange head? Just like the boy in my dream! Could this mean something? Was Pein the boy in my dreams? I shook my head. What a stupid thought!

First off, I never met Pein when I was younger. Second, Pein's hair might be orange but his eyes were purple; unlike the boy in my dreams, who had brown eyes. And finally, Pein would never smile and blush and be all carefree. The day that happens is when the devil will start a snowball fight with the angels. Okay . . . that's too extreme. Anyway, the day Pein shows real _emotions_ (besides his moodiness and constipated-ness) will be the day I start to lose my head and my sanity.

I pulled out my iPod and listened to some more K-pop. I don't know why but nowadays, I like listening to K-pop more and more. I was currently listening to Heartbreaker by G-Dragon (gotta love the man!)

**[A/N: Guys this is totally off topic but PM me some K-pop songs that are good? I'm so bored and I need some new K-pop on my computer.]**

I sang along quietly and bobbed my head to the music. As I did so, I pulled my lyric journal out of my bag and opened it. Yesterday, lyric writing was a complete fail; not to mention a waste of my ink and pages. But now that my head was clearer, maybe I'll be able to come up with something.

Once again, I came up with nothing. I don't know how much time had passed but I mentally slapped myself for letting my thoughts drift when I found myself drawing chibi Pein and his eyes in detail on the journal. I didn't tear it out though; my lyric journal was getting thinner due to lack of pages.

Stupid distractions.

Damn you dreams.

Damn you Pein.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Pein sneezed.

"Oooh!" Obito said as he nudged Pein's arm. "Someone is thinking of you!"

Itachi chuckled, "Well it is believed that when you sneeze, someone is thinking or talking about you."

Kushina laughed, "Really? Well my boy you should be sneezing all the time with the number of crazy fan girls that you've got."

"You all actually," Mikoto said, joining in the laughter. "You guys _are _the famous Akatsuki after all!"

Kushina just couldn't allow the Akatsuki to leave without a grand lunch. It would be a while before she would see them all. She had invited Mikoto and Fugaku over as well. Pein sighed; just as he had expected from Kushina.

Minato chuckled as he set a bowl of salad on the table, "Okay kids. Let's all sit down and dig in."

The atmosphere in the Uzumaki garden was peaceful and jolly. Kushina and Mikoto chatted happily as Minato and Fugaku talked silently among themselves. Obito, who had removed his mask, was shoving as many chicken nuggets into his mouth, causing him to cough violently. Itachi sighed as he handed him a glass of water.

Pein rolled his eyes, "You idiot."

Obito exhaled deeply and then stuck his tongue out at Pein, "Shut up! I won't be able to eat Kushina-chan's home food any time soon!"

Kushina giggled, "Eat up dear. I'm so glad that you have healed!"

Obito grinned sheepishly, "It took a while ne?"

Fugaku smirked, "Hn. Well now you can stop wearing that funny mask of yours."

Obito looked at his plate, "Oh yeah. I still haven't decided if . . . I should now . . . reveal myself, I should say."

Mikoto frowned, "Why darling?"

Obito sipped his water again, "I don't know. I'm just a bit hesitant you know?"

Minato smiled, "Well you just take your time to make your decision." Obito gave a toothy smile and nodded in return.

"Too bad Sasori-kun and Deidara-chan are in Suna," said Kushina. "I wonder how Chiyo-baa-sama is."

"I hear she's doing much better," Fugaku said after he swallowed his food. "However, she still isn't discharged from the hospital."

"I hope she gets well soon." Itachi murmured.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sasori sighed as he walked down the corridors of the hospital. He ran his hand through his hair which was slowly becoming damp with sweat. It was super hot in Suna that day; actually, it was hot _everyday_ in Suna. It was basically in the middle of the dessert! But he couldn't complain; this was his birthplace.

And his grandma lived here.

People often thought he visited Suna because he was such a granny's boy but the truth was Chiyo was a heart patient and due to old age, she had minor heart attacks once in a while. She was better but that didn't mean Sasori could rest easy.

Sasori couldn't imagine what he would do without his grandmother. His parents had died in a plane crash when he was three and therefore, he grew up without the warmth of parents. To fill in the hole in his chest, his grandmother had taught him puppet making and given him twice the love in place of his deceased parents.

Sakura and Gaara weren't related to him by blood. They were cousins; daughter of his mother's sister and son of his father's brother. Sakura and Gaara weren't related to each other either. Gaara, whose mother had died giving birth to him, was the son of the Kazekage. He had two siblings; an older sister, Temari, and brother Kankuro. Gaara was the youngest and grew up without a mother's love.

Sakura was the only one who still had both her parents. However, they constantly travelled all over the world and Sakura hardly got the attention she needed while growing up. In the end it was always Chiyo who looked after them.

The three of them lived in Konoha for years with Sakura's parents and Chiyo but only for a couple of years as Sakura's parents had to travel again. Sakura wished to continue her studies in Konoha and Gaara wanted to stay with her. Sasori had finished high school and was about to attend college by then.

Sakura and Gaara too wanted to be there for Chiyo but Sasori had insisted that they continue with their studies in Konoha while he looked after Chiyo; after all, Ame was closer to Suna. Sasori wanted to attend the Suna University but his grandmother insisted he attend the College in Ame to go away from home for some time, as well as be together with his friends.

Chiyo was always there for him; now it was his turn to be by her side.

He walked faster and faster; up ahead was Chiyo's room. He slowly opened the door and peeked inside. Chiyo lay there on the bed, sleeping, with a calm expression. Sasori's eyes softened at the sight as he stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. He then noticed something and frowned; his grandmother wasn't breathing.

For a moment, he panicked and was about to ring for the nurse. But then e saw something in the corner of the room, next to Chiyo's bed.

He smirked softly and sighed, "Baa-chan, I know you're trolling me; your heart monitor tells me you're alive."

Chiyo's eyes snapped open and she looked at her grandson with a pout, "Oh darn!"

Indeed the heart monitor was beeping steadily, indicating that the old woman's frail heart was still beating and that she was alive. Sasori chuckled and sat on the edge of the bed. He reached out and pulled his grandma for a hug.

He placed a light kiss on top of the old woman's head, "Mou, don't scare me. I worry about you, you know?"

Chiyo scoffed, "You don't need to! Don't you have faith in your grandmother or do you think she's that weak of a hag and will die?"

Sasori chuckled, "No, I know you're tough for an old lady and I know that you won't die; not like this."

"That's more like it," Chiyo said with a grin. She then frowned. "What have you been eating? You're all skin and bones."

Sasori sighed, "I've been eating just fine, thank you very much. What about you huh? The nurses tell me you aren't eating anything."

"That's because the food here sucks." Chiyo said crossing her arms.

"Oh really?" Sasori said with a smirk. "That's funny because just yesterday, I left you a present under your bed."

Chiyo looked at him quizzically. Sasori then reached under the bed and pulled out a whole bag of food items like bread, tuna spread and fresh cucumbers, apples and oranges and also a small knife.

Chiyo smiled widely, "Why didn't you tell me? Oh come here you!" She grabbed Sasori and hugged him tightly. She then let him go and started to reach for an apple.

Sasori laughed softly and placed his hand over the left side of Chiyo's chest, "How's the heart?"

Chiyo shrugged, "It's better. I have to have another surgery and then they said I'll be free to go!" she took a huge bite of her apple and smiled.

Sasori stiffened, "When is the surgery?"

"In two weeks," said Chiyo. "After your rain festival thing; the doctors said it was my decision and well I want to do it."

Sasori's grip around her tightened, "You know that there is a consequence to this surgery right?"

Chiyo nodded, "I do. But I will have it anyways."

"I won't let you." Sasori said firmly.

"That's not your decision to make young man." Chiyo said with a glare.

"It is now," Sasori replied. "And you are not having that surgery."

Chiyo rolled her eyes, "Don't be such a spoilt sport. I will be fine; this surgery could cure me-"

"Or kill you if it fails!" Sasori snapped.

Chiyo was silent. She watched as the tears slowly streamed down Sasori's cheeks. He looked away and clenched his fists, "If I were to lose you . . ."

Chiyo smiled softly and pulled Sasori's head into her lap, "Now, we've talked about this. I will be fine. You trust me don't you darling? I'll survive this."

Sasori wept silently on Chiyo's lap, "I don't want you to . . . to-"

"I know, love," Chiyo said softly while she gently stroked his hair. "I don't want to die either, not yet anyways. I still have to see my grandkids right?"

Sasori gave a small bitter chuckle and buried his face in Chiyo's lap, "P-promise me. Promise me you'll fight."

Chiyo laughed softly and planted a kiss on Sasori's head, "Damn right I will; and when this is all over, I'll take you out for candy just like old times."

"Okay." Sasori whispered back. Chiyo then hummed a soft lullaby which she sang to Sasori when he was younger and having trouble sleeping with nightmares. It worked its magic once again; Sasori's eyes slowly started to droop and before he knew it, he was fast asleep on his grandmother's lap.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I yawned loudly. Well I did come up with the first verse and chorus of my song. It's an achievement considering how distracted I have been lately. **[A/N: Guys give me some suggestions on songs. It should be upbeat, catchy, needs rap and kickass for Konan. If I like your opinion, I will use the song.] **I packed up my stuff and headed back towards the dorm. The sun peeped shyly behind the clouds; the drizzle had stopped and everything looked much brighter. Well, at least bright for Ame.

I hummed my new song to myself as I entered the dorm. Hana sat flat on her stomach on her bed, working on something on her laptop. She grinned at me when I entered, "You're up early."

I shrugged, "Meh, I went for some air. And I got to work o my song too."

"Really? How's it coming so far?"

I grinned sheepishly, "It's an improvement from yesterday."

Hana laughed, "Well I'm glad."

"So what are_ you_ doing?" I asked Hana as I sat on my own bed. "I thought you completed all your homework or something."

"I did," replied Hana. "I'm just . . . reading some news."

"What kind of news?" I asked mischievously.

Hana rolled her eyes and sighed. Her expression then suddenly became serious. She turned her laptop towards me, "News on my . . . father."

My eyes widened a bit before I focused my attention on the screen. The headlines read **"Zillionaire and Musical Sensation Shinzo Kenji Returns!"**

I read out the first few lines of the article, "Millionaire and Musical Sensation, Shinzo Kenji, has returned after his three year temporary retirement. Fans all across the globe wait eagerly for him to return to the stage."

Hana looked down at her lap, "It's just so weird seeing him after so many years, even if it's just through pictures."

I looked at the picture of Shinzo Kenji. He was a handsome man in his mid-thirties with shaggy brown hair and a brown beard. He stood proudly wearing a black suit and red tie. What scared me were his eyes; they were just like Hana's.

It was hard to believe it was this man who made Tsume and Hana's life a living hell; especially Hana, who was only four when he abandoned the two. Kiba grew up without a father and he grew up to be just fine with only his mother but I knew he yearned for a father's love as well on the inside.

"So your dad's last name is Shinzo huh? "I asked.

Hana nodded, "I was born Shinzo Hana but I don't need that name; not anymore. I'm an Inuzuka and I'm proud of it."

"You okay baby?" I said as I looked at her with concern. Her hands had formed trembling fists on her lap.

Hana nodded and gave me a small smile, "Yeah . . . just . . . old memories resurfacing you could say."

"Let's get some breakfast," I suggested. "Then, let's go to our apartment."

Hana gasped, "Great idea! Let's go." So, we quickly changed our clothes. I wore a deep purple turtleneck and some jeans with my white sneakers and a purple swirl stud. My hair was in its usual style with my origami in place.

Hana put on a sky blue sweater over her white t-shirt and wore a beige colored skirt which reached her knees. She also wore long white socks and black flats. She tied her hair in a loose ponytail and cleaned her glasses before putting them on.

I grinned at her, "Let's get going!" We decided to spend the rest of the holidays over at our old place and so we packed a couple of things but not much; our stuff was all there anyway.

We went walking to town and bought some groceries. We settled for a coffee and muffin for breakfast and planned on cooking something nice at home. We then took the bus to our old apartment. The journey brought back nostalgic memories of how Hana and I used to ride home from school on rainy days.

The bus stopped right in front of our apartment building ( lucky we had a stop nearby) and we paid and thanked the bus driver before we got off. Walking up the stairs, I grinned widely to myself. Hana was smiling too.

We stopped in front of our apartment door. Hana held up the keys and grinned, "Shall we?"

"We shall!" I replied with a toothy grin. Hana then inserted the key and opened the door. We were home; home sweet home.

**Me: How was it? I made Sasori's part emotional and Konan and Pein's part random. And I added a bit about Hana's dad too. Yeah I totally made up his character. Anywho, you'll see more of him later. And also, we have a special character coming up after a couple of chapters too. I'll give more hints next time! **

**Deidara: -snickers- Sasori's being a shy guy and hiding after this chapter, un.**

**Me: Awww! Okay peeps, review if you want PeinKonan ItaHana in the next chapter. And also if you want a kiss from Deidara!**

**Deidara: No way, don't drag me into this, un.**

**Me: Shut up. FREE KISSES FROM DEIEI-CHAN FOR A REVIEW! ^_^**

**Deidara: . . . whatever. Read and review, un.**


	30. Chapter 30

**Me: -le gasp! - 168 reviews! And we have reached the 30****th**** chapter! YAY! THANK YOU SO MUCH GUYS! YOU HAVE MADE ME SO BERRY HAPPY!**

**Deidara: -huffs- Kisses to all those who reviewed, un**

**Konan: -grins- and a kiss from me to KyubiKid9 ^_^**

**Me: Enjoy. **

**CHAPTER 30**

Home sweet home!

It was just as we had left it . . . except for the fact that we left it kinda messy and also the dust had accumulated on the furniture. Yet, it sent a wave of familiarity and warmth throughout my body. I smiled; it feels good to be back.

Hana laughed, "Well you were right Konan-chan; we _do _have a lot of cleaning to do!"

I laughed too, "Yup. Well I guess we should get started right away."

Hana nodded, "I'll begin with the dusting, and you sort things out in the kitchen and cook our dinner."

"Sounds like a plan," I said with a shrug. "Okay then let's begin!"

I went over to the stereo on the shelf and plugged in my iPod. I played the song 'Hey Porsche' by Nelly; they say music makes work easier. Hana sighed, "I don't get this song."

I shrugged, "It's got a catchy beat ne? That's why I like it."

Hana followed me into the kitchen to get the feather duster. After she left, I started to clean kitchen table which was full of our food wrappers, a few mugs and spoons and a vase of dying daffodils. I threw out the dead flowers and as I did so, I realized that our trash bins were full and emitting a foul smell.

I wrinkled my nose, "Awww damn it."

I picked up the trash bin and held it away from me as I walked out of the kitchen. Hana, who was wearing a facemask and dusting the shelves, also wrinkled her nose and gestured towards the door. I nodded and proceeded to head out to throw the garbage.

Outside, I emptied the trash in the large dumpster a few feet away from our apartment building. I placed the trash bin down and dusted my hands. I sighed, "Well that's done."

Thunder rumbled across the sky and I felt a wet drop on my nose; the next thing I knew it was raining heavily. I glared at the sky, "You just had to blow now." I grabbed the trash bin and covered my head with one hand as I jogged back towards our apartment building. It did little to protect me from the rain.

Hana ran towards me holding a red umbrella and I quickly jogged towards her and stood under her umbrella. Hana sighed, "Ah this rain; I wanted to go and pick up a couple of air fresheners from the Convenience Store."

I grinned at her, "I'll go."

Hana shook her head," It's okay Konan-chan; it's raining anyways."

"No I'll go," I insisted. "We're short on food in the fridge as well and I was thinking of going anyways. I'll pick up the air fresheners along the way."

"You sure?" Hana asked.

I grinned and nodded, "Positive."

Hana nodded and handed me the umbrella," Take this then. And here; I'll give you the money."

I shook my head, "Nah I got it; I have my wallet on me." I patted my pocket. Hana nodded and took the trash bin from me. She then rushed into the apartment and after she was gone, I began my journey to the store.

The rain made pitter-patter sounds as it dropped from the heavens and kissed the earth. It was raining so heavily that the raindrops flew back up after making contact with the ground. I looked around and I could see the people rushing to get out of the rain while others pulled out their umbrellas.

I loved the rain and I loved walking in it. I preferred to walk without an umbrella and feel the coldness of the rain on my face and body but right now I held on tightly to my umbrella as the wind was strong; I couldn't just simply walk into the store dripping wet and cold like a lost dog.

Nausea suddenly swept over me. It was raining this way on the day my parents were murdered. My heart ached as I thought of their smiling faces and warmth which were now no more. I held on tighter to my umbrella with one hand and hugged my torso with the other. So this is how Obito must have felt; the rain bringing him bad memories of his deceased beloved. But his case was much worse as he had suffered . . . an Alzheimer of some sort and couldn't understand the flashbacks he had.

I walked into the nearest convenience store and started to load my cart with all the stuff I needed; air fresheners, veggies, tuna, bread, chicken, peanut butter, pickles, eggs, strawberries and some bananas. I even picked up shampoo, conditioner, soap and a tube of spearmint toothpaste. I went over to the counter.

I was about to pay the lady at the counter when I realized something; my wallet was missing. My eyes widened as I searched my pockets. I stomped my foot in frustration," Argh! This can't be happening!"

The lady at the counter, who was in her mid-twenties, with brown hair and blue eyes, blew a bubble with the gum she was chewing and raised an eyebrow lazily at me. I bit my lip; this was so embarrassing. I opened my mouth to say something when suddenly, a hand held out some cash out in front of me.

I turned to see Pein, standing right next to me wearing a black jacket over a maroon sweater and jeans with black Vans, raising an eyebrow at me.

The lady at the counter immediately stood up and quickly fixed her shirt, revealing some cleavage, "How may I help you?"

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. I looked back at Pein, "What are you doing here?"

Pein rolled his eyes, "Probably what every sane person would do in a convenience store; buy stuff." I saw, from the corner of my eye, he had placed a six-pack of coke on the counter. I blushed a bit and looked away from him.

Pein smirked, "Well I see you're having some problem paying up."

I blushed deeper and glared at him, "Well that's my problem and not yours!"

Pein sighed as he shook his head. He reached into his pocket and pulled out some more cash. He placed it on the counter along with the previous money. He looked at the lady at the counter, "This should cover for both of us; keep the change."

I was baffled, "Eh? There's no need for that."

Pein didn't answer me. He simply grabbed his coke and headed out into the rain. The lady at the counter put my stuff in two paper bags and handed them to me with a glare. I ducked my head and mumbled a 'thank you' as I took them from her. What is with these people? I say one sentence to Pein and I get the cold shoulder or evil eye; stupid cocky jerk and his popularity.

Speaking of Mr. Popularity . . .

I rushed out into the rain, carrying my groceries, forgetting about my umbrella. Pein was only a few feet ahead of me. I called out to him, "Hey!"

He stopped and turned back to look at me. We were both standing in the middle of the street and out clothes were slowly getting drenched in rainwater. I stood in front of him and looked down at my feet. This reminded me of a sappy love scene where the girl and boy finally confess their feelings to each other. I blushed and pushed the thought out of my head.

"I . . . um . . . T-thanks." I said awkwardly.

Pein didn't respond. The angry storm clouds showered us mercilessly with rain. After a brief silence, he spoke, "Don't you have a ride or something?"

I opened my umbrella and scooted closer to him so that we were sheltered from the pouring rain. I shrugged, "I'm walking home."

"Che. How annoying." He said. I raised an eyebrow. He gestured for me to follow him. I looked at him questioningly and he simply shook his head and started to walk away, into the rain. I ran after him and held the umbrella above his head, protecting us both from the rain. Great; I feel like some henchman now.

He started to walk towards a black Ferrari and I followed him. What is with these Akatsuki and their fancy cars? He opened the back door and gestured for me to get in. I hesitated as first. He sighed, "I'll drop you off; it's not like I'm kidnapping you." I rolled my eyes and climbed in. I realized I wasn't alone.

"Hey Konan-san!" Obito said cheerfully as he smiled at me. He was wearing a red GAP hoodie with white basketball shorts and white sneakers. I also noticed that he had his orange swirly mask on his lap rather than having it on his face. He scooted over so I could climb in.

I smiled at him, "Hey there Obito. How are you?"

Obito laughed, "I'm just fine, thanks. Told ya I won't get affected by the rain now!"

I laughed. I then realized that there was someone in the front seat. Itachi, who had been sleeping, yawned softly and stretched. He then turned to look at me. He was wearing a black shirt with black jeans. He smiled lazily at me, "Hey Konan."

I grinned, "Hey Sleeping Beauty."

"Damn, I can't see anything in this rain." Pein muttered as he started the car. He pulled out of the parking and we hit the road.

I turned to him, "Let's go to my place until the rain stops; it's closer."

Itachi raised an eyebrow, "Aren't you going back to Ame College?"

I shook my head, "Hana and I are staying at our old apartment until the rain festival is over."

"Directions?" Pein asked. I gave him all the directions to our apartment building. We reached there in about five minutes; it's either the car was fast or Pein as a crazy driver. Pein parked the car in front of the building.

"Alright," I said as I opened the door of the Ferrari. "Let's get going."

We rushed into to the apartment building. Once we were out of the rain and into the shelter of the apartment building, we took our time climbing up the stairs. I took the lead with the other three following behind.

Once we reached outside our apartment door, I knocked three times. I could still hear the music from inside and I could make out it was the song 'Gentleman' by Psy. I could also hear the sound of the vacuum cleaner. I knocked again, harder.

The vacuum cleaner noise then stopped and after a few seconds, Hana opened the door. Her eyes widened when she saw that I wasn't alone and a small blush adorned her face when she saw Itachi. She smiled, "Hey guys; this is a surprise."

Obito grinned and hugged her, "Hey Hana-chan! I hope you don't mind; Konan-san said we could stay over until the rain clears."

Hana laughed as she hugged back. She then pulled away and nodded, "Of course! Come on in; I'll boil some tea."

We walked into the living room where the guys took a seat on the couch. I gave Hana the groceries and I looked around. I saw that Hana was done with the cleaning; everything was clean and dust free. Itachi gave a soft smile, "You have a very cozy home."

I grinned and sheepishly scratched my cheek, "Gee, thanks Itachi."

"Ne Konan-chan? Can I change the song?" Obito asked. I nodded. He then got up and bounded over to the stereo and played the song 'Feel this moment' by Pitbull featuring Christina Aguilera. Obito gave a small hoot and sang along with the song. I laughed and shook my head.

"Konan-chan," Hana called from the kitchen. "How'd you get the groceries? You dropped your wallet on the ground in front of the building and you had left your phone here when I tried calling you."

I blushed, "My bad."

"Pein-san," Obito said as he shrugged. "He must have paid for her; I saw him coming out of the store with Konan-san running after. Kinda looked like a scene in a romance movie." Pein glared at Obito and grunted.

Hana's laughter was heard, "That is _so cut_e! Anyways, thank you Pein-san. Konan-chan is so careless at times."

I pouted, "Am not!"

After a few minutes, Hana walked in holding a tray of five mugs of hot steamy tea. She set each mug in front of us and took her own into her hands as she sat down on the arm rest of the one-person sofa where Obito sat.

"It's been a while since it rained like this." Hana said after she took a sip of her tea.

Itachi nodded, "There's going to be a hell lot of mud after this."

Obito snickered, "I get to throw mud on senpai again; awesome!"

Pein smirked, "Deidara won't be too pleased."

Hana giggled, "So where is Sasori-kun and Deidara-san anyway?"

"They'll arrive today," said Itachi. "Sasori was in Suna and Deidara went with him. I wonder if they make it through this weather."

On cue, Pein's phone buzzed. He looked at the caller ID, "It's Sasori."

"Put it on loud speaker." Obito insisted.

Pein answered it and put it on loudspeaker, "Where are you?"

"_We just entered through Ame's gates,"_ Sasori said from the other end. _"Man is it rainy! I left my car for repairs in Kiri with Kisame; he said he'll drive it by tomorrow."_

"So you are in Deidara's car?" Itachi asked.

"_Yup,"_ Sasori replied. _"But it's hard to see in this rain. We might need to pull over for the night."_

"Come over to our place," I said. "Tell me where you are."

"_Konan?" _Sasori said, surprised. _"Wait, so you guys reached college?"_

"Not really," I said. "We're all here at Hana and my old apartment. You can come over and dry off until the rain clears."

"_Okay,"_ Sasori said slowly. _"Where do you stay?"_

I gave him the address and it turns out, they weren't that far off. I gave them the directions and how to find the building. After he hung up, I stood up, "I should wait out in front for them."

"Take the umbrella, Konan-chan." Hana said as she handed me the red umbrella again. I took it from her and headed out. I opened my umbrella and stepped out into the rain. I waited for any sign of Deidara's car.

After about ten minutes or so, a familiar black Mercedes Benz pulled over. I jogged towards the car and I saw Sasori and Deidara getting out of the car while pulling their hoodie over their heads.

I grinned, "Hey guys! Come on; let's go before we get soaked."

We jogged towards the apartment and they followed me up the stairs. The door of our apartment wasn't closed so I gestured for Sasori and Deidara to go in. I closed the door behind me as I entered.

Sasori sighed and he rubbed his hands together, "What a crappy weather!"

Deidara pushed back his hoodie, "You can say that again, un."

Hana handed them both a mug of hot tea, "Sit down you two; you must be tired."

Deidara mumbled a 'thank you' and took a sip of his tea. Apparently, it was hot so he burnt his tongue. He hissed and fanned his tongue with his hand. Obito started to laugh like a maniac. Deidara glared coldly at him.

Sasori grinned, "Thanks wifey." Hana simply blushed in response and gave a small smile.

The song ended and now, 'That Power' by Will. featuring Justin Bieber started playing. Obito hooted and stood up, "I love this song." He then grabbed Hana's hands, pulling her up and twirled her around, making her dance with him, as he sang along with the stereo.

_**Ohhh,  
I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm alive.  
And ohh,  
I can fly, I can fly, I can fly.  
And ohh,  
I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm alive.  
And I'm loving every second, minute, hour,  
bigger, better, stronger  
Power.**_

Hana laughed as Obito let her go and started to dance around. Deidara rolled his eyes while Sasori, Itachi and Pein smirked. As Obito danced around, he tripped over the vacuum cleaner and ended up falling in Deidara's lap. Deidara pushed him off, "Get off of me, un."

Obito got off and huffed, "Meanie!"

Hana went over to move the vacuum cleaner, "I'm so sorry; I shouldn't have left this lying around. I'll put it away."

"Don't worry wifey," said Sasori. "It wasn't you; it's just that Obito was as clumsy as ever."

"Hey!" Obito said with a pout.

I laughed, "So guys, now that the Akatsuki are back, are you performing at the rain festival?"

Sasori shrugged and looked at Pein, "Pein?"

Pein thought for a while and then spoke, "I don't see why not. What do you guys think?"

"Fine with me," said Deidara. "I enjoy performing anytime, un."

"It's settled then," Obito beamed. "We're performing at the rain festival."

"Yeah," said Itachi. He then sighed. "One problem; the last day of registration is today, four hours ago."

"Awww!" Obito cried as he pulled at his hair.

Hana cleared her throat, "About that . . ."

She went into the kitchen and came back holding a form. She held it out to Itachi. Itachi read the form and his eyes widened, "This is-"

"Yeah," Hana cut in, a blush adorning her cheeks. "It's a registration form. Yes the last day was today and I snuck a peak at the list of performers and saw that you guys weren't there. I thought you might want to perform but would miss the registration so I managed to snag an extra form when I went to register for Konan-chan."

"You're performing?" Deidara asked. I grinned and nodded in response.

"I already registered for you guys," said Hana. "You know, just in case you missed it. You're allowed to cancel if you want so I thought maybe you could cancel if you didn't want to perform. But I guess you are."

"That was . . . thoughtful of you," Itachi said with a soft smirk. "Thank you Hana."

Hana blushed and waved her hand as she laughed sheepishly, "It's nothing."

"We owe you one wifey." Sasori said as he winked at her. Hana turned even redder. Obito and I laughed.

"Now you have to submit that form tomorrow and you're all set." Hana said with a smile.

"It says here," said Pein, as he read from the form. "That a group is allowed to perform a maximum of three songs and individual members of the group are also allowed to do solos."

"Yeah," said Obito as he raised an eyebrow. "So?"

Pein turned to look at Hana, "So, I'm wondering why you wrote Obito's name with a pencil in one of the spaces to write the name of the song."

Hana's eyes widened and she looked down at her feet; my habit is infectious. We all turned to Hana. Obito tilted his head, "Huh? Why'd you do that Hana-chan?"

"Well," Hana started to say. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I was just thinking . . . well Obito, now that you've healed, you don't have to be Tobi anymore. You can make your comeback as Obito during the festival with a solo."

Obito was silent, considering Hana's words.

"It's completely optional though!" Hana said as she held up her hands. "It's all up to you, Obito."

"Hana's right you know," Itachi said. "This is a good opportunity for the world to know that Obito is back."

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't considering it," Obito said as he bit his lip. "About revealing myself I mean; but I don't know. I'm not that . . . confident?"

"I leave that up to you," said Pein. "The Akatsuki will perform two songs in total and the leftover space I will give it to you, Obito. You can decide what you wish to do."

Obito gave a small smile, "Thanks Pein-san."

"So," I said as I set my empty mug down. "You guys done composing a song or something?"

"Yup," Deidara said coolly. "Seven songs to be exact, un."

I sweat dropped, "T-that fast?"

Itachi raised an eyebrow, "Is there a problem?"

Hana laughed and patted my shoulder, "Konan-chan is having trouble completing her song, that's all."

I pouted and crossed my arms, "Whatever."

Sasori chuckled, "Hey Konan, if you need any help with your music, let me know."

I clasped my hands as I turned to him, "Yes please. Sasori you're the greatest!"

"Say," Itachi said as he turned to me. "Konan, why don't you perform one song with us?"

"Huh?" I was taken aback by this.

"Yeah," Deidara said with a nod. "We could do a number together, un."

"Ummm . . ." I started to say. "I don't want to be a bother or-"

"No way," said Sasori. "It'll be awesome."

"I don't even want to know what your fan girls will do to me." I said glumly.

Obito grinned, "Screw the fan girls! Come on Konan. Pein-san, tell her!"

I turned to Pein; he was the leader of the whole band after all. His beautiful and hypnotizing eyes gazed into my own. He then shrugged, "Well it's your choice; I'm fine with anything."

Hana squealed, "Come on Konan-chan!"

I then grinned, "Okay then. But are you sure I won't be a bother?"

"Of course not!" Obito said as he gave me two thumbs up. The rest nodded.

I smiled, "Thanks guys."

"Well," said Hana. ""Since it's kinda late to write a song together, why don't you guys simply do a cover of a song?"

"That's what I was thinking," Pein said. "Now we simply have to pick a song and practice."

"We'll discuss that tomorrow," said Deidara. He placed his hands behind his head and leaned back on the couch. "I'm drop-dead tired today, un."

"Me too." Sasori said with a sigh.

"Ne, Hana-chan," said Obito. "Why don't you sing too?"

Hana blushed and cleared her throat, "No way! Singing is . . . not my thing."

I rolled my eyes and scoffed, "Not your thing? That's crazy!"

"I've never heard wifey sing." Sasori admitted as he looked at Hana.

"Trust me; you really have to." I said as I nodded. Hana glared at me and then shook her head. I simply laughed.

**Me: It's not **_**that**_** spicy but I'll make the next one full of thrill k?**

**Deidara: Read and review, un.**


End file.
